A reckless driver was caught on camera trying to escape the police on a busy UK road while officers raced at speeds reaching 150mph to apprehend him. Kieran Connor, aged 22, engaged in a high-speed police chase, reaching speeds of 146mph on the A19. During the pursuit, Connor turned off his lights at 125mph and plowed through cones on a closed road section.
At one point, he sped at 80mph in a residential area with a 20mph limit, eventually colliding with another vehicle and attempting to flee the scene around 9:45 pm on September 4. A witness described feeling like they were in imminent danger after Connor’s vehicle crashed into theirs.
Initially spotted by police driving a Ford S-max south of the Tyne Tunnel on the A19, Connor, who was wanted for evading officers in Wallsend earlier, refused to stop despite police activating their lights and sirens. He accelerated to 110mph, turned off his lights, and maneuvered through traffic lights and narrowly avoided a collision with a civilian.
When Connor reached 80mph in a 20mph zone, prompting safety concerns, the police terminated the pursuit. However, he was later sighted on the A1231 by an undercover officer who sought backup, believing Connor was unaware of being followed at that point.
Subsequently, Connor was observed driving at 80mph in a 50mph zone, making dangerous maneuvers between vehicles. On the A19, he aggressively passed two cars, causing one to collide with the central reservation.
As marked police cars resumed the pursuit, Connor continued at 125mph without lights, damaging cones in a restricted roadworks area and breaching a closed road section at Easington. His reckless driving led to a police vehicle sustaining a shattered windshield, forcing it to halt the pursuit.
After colliding with a civilian’s car in what appeared to be a deliberate act to create an escape route, Connor fled on foot but was apprehended while hiding behind a garden bush. The prolonged chase, lasting over 30 minutes, was deemed by police experts as extremely dangerous, with one officer describing it as the worst driving behavior witnessed during their service.
The victim of the collision expressed fear for their life in a statement, highlighting the risks imposed by Connor’s actions. Connor, a resident of Shotton Colliery, Durham, admitted to charges of dangerous driving, driving without a license or insurance, resulting in a 22-month imprisonment and a three-year driving ban. The presiding judge condemned Connor’s egregious conduct, emphasizing the severe threat posed to public safety by his reckless driving.
Connor’s criminal record includes multiple convictions for offenses like aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, and violence, compounded by breaches of suspended sentences and a community order. Despite citing cognitive challenges, including a learning disability, ADHD, and autism, Connor acknowledged the severe consequences of his reckless behavior.
