A 27-year-old man who crashed into a police car whilst trying to evade officers with a child in the car has been jailed for two and a half years.
Wayne Smith, of Tamworth, Staffordshire, assaulted a woman in his apartment during an argument in August 2019. When she reported it to the police, they visited his address and discovered a suicide note.
Police officers attempted to contact him but he didn’t respond to their messages. He was later seen driving northbound at Junction 22 of the A5, travelling at speeds of up to 90mph.
Specialist roads policing officers used their skills to try and stop the car, but he undertook vehicles on the hard shoulder before crashing into his Ford Focus into a police car. The BMW X5 flipped several times and trapped the officer inside as it caught fire.
The officer suffered head injuries. He was treated in hospital, but fortunately wasn’t seriously hurt.
Following the crash, officers discovered the child in the rear passenger foot well. The child was injured in the incident, suffering bruising but was lucky to avoid any serious harm.
Despite Smith pleading not guilty to battery, dangerous driving, wilful exposure of a child to danger and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, he was found guilty during a trial and convicted of the offences.
Kerry Moreton, of the CPS, said: “The defendant embarked on a very serious and dangerous course of action, putting his own wishes above the safety of others. It is fortunate indeed that no one was killed as a result. The defendant will now have some time to reflect on his actions while those affected by them try to find a way forward.
“The case demonstrates how the police put themselves in danger during the course of their duties and I should like to thank them and the lorry driver who assisted and gave evidence in the case.”
If you would like to help support our in-house team of former emergency services, NHS and armed forces personnel, then please consider becoming a donor.
With ad revenue continually fluctuating, we need the help of our readers and supporters to ensure that we can continue to bring you the stories which matter in a non-biased and non-inflammatory way.
You can pledge a one-off or monthly payment (via PayPal) by clicking HERE – any contribution/donor amount will be very much appreciated.
Our Editor & Founder will send a personal email to donors, thanking them for their generosity.
TODAY’S TOP VIDEO – EDITORS PICK
Before you go...
WE NEED YOUR HELP. As former emergency services & armed forces personnel, we pride ourselves on bringing you important, fast-moving and breaking news stories & videos which are free from the negative 'anti' bias which is often directed at the emergency services & NHS by some sections of the mainstream media.
One of the reasons we started 'Emergency Services News' back in 2018 was because we became tired of reading badly informed stories about the emergency services.
We want to be the unheard voice of the remarkable men and women who serve in the emergency services, NHS and armed forces. And with around 500k page views each month, we are getting there!
As income from ads, the mainstay source of income for most publishers, continues to decline; we need the help of you, our readers.
You can support emergency services news from as little as £1. It only takes a minute. Every contribution, however big or small, is vital for our future.
Please help us to continue to highlight the life-saving work of the emergency services, NHS and armed forces by becoming a supporter.
