In the UK, a 21-year-old man without a driver's license staged an hour-long escape from the police behind the wheel of a huge three-axle truck. The dangerous driving through narrow streets at a speed of over 120 km/h miraculously avoided a serious accident and ended with a heavy court sentence.
According to Carscoops, the incident began when the police tried to stop 21-year-old Lewan Griffiths. Instead of hitting the brakes, the young man stepped on the gas pedal of his newly purchased flatbed truck. The situation was complicated by the fact that the driver did not have a valid driver's license or insurance.
Fleeing from the police in a car is a bad idea, but doing it in a multi-ton commercial vehicle is pure madness. To give you an idea of the scale of the threat: the police cannot simply block such a truck or perform a U-turn maneuver, because any physical contact at high speed can lead to catastrophic consequences for all road users.
During the hour-long chase, Griffiths accelerated the heavy vehicle to 122 km/h in an area where driving is allowed at no more than 80 km/h. Even more frightening was his driving through residential areas: where the speed limit is 32 km/h, he drove at 90 km/h.
A police video camera footage shows the huge truck weaving through narrow roads, almost wiping out oncoming cars. Eventually, the unfortunate driver realized he couldn't get away, abandoned the truck and tried to flee on his own two feet, but was quickly caught.
The court sentenced him to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, a two-year driving ban, and 200 hours of community service. In order to ever legally get behind the wheel, he will have to take an extended driving test. This story is a stark reminder that lack of documentation and panic behind the wheel turn any car into an uncontrollable weapon.