Police say his driving could ‘very easily’ have led to someone being killed or seriously injured
A driver being chased by police turned around and drove the wrong way up the M60 in a last desperate bid to evade arrest.
Amaar Abid, was behind the wheel of a Volkswagen Golf which officers tried to stop it after it drove through a red light on Alan Turing Way in east Manchester at around 1.20am in the early hours of Tuesday, June 10 last year.
However Abid drove off and was pursued by officers up Hyde Road through Gorton and Denton and onto the M60 heading towards Oldham.
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He drove ‘erratically’ throughout the chase and repeatedly slowed to a ‘crawling pace’ on the motorway, Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said.
Due to the manner of his driving and in a bid to reduce the risk to the public, police put a rolling road block in place on the M60.
Driver tried to evade police, he drove the wrong way on M60
Gobsmacking footage filmed from one police car shows how, realising his path was blocked, Abid then turned the car around and began driving the wrong way up the motorway.
Officers were forced to deliberately crash into him, in what is known as ‘tactical contact’, in order to bring him to a stop and arrest him.
Amaar Abid(Image: Greater Manchester Police (GMP))
Police said he showed a ‘complete disregard’ for other’s safety and that someone could ‘very easily’ have been killed or seriously injured as a result.
Abid, of Copster Hill Road, Oldham, was yesterday (Wednesday, June 18) jailed for 38 weeks at Manchester Magistrates Court for dangerous driving.
He was also fined £154 fine, banned from driving for two years and ordered to take an extended re-test in order to get his licence back.
PC Oliver Garner, from GMP’s Roads Policing Unit, said in a statement issued following the hearing: “Amaar Abid’s actions that night showed a complete disregard for the safety of everyone else on the road. Not only did he fail to stop for officers, but he drove erratically on the motorway and ultimately made the reckless decision to drive the wrong way on the M60 in a desperate attempt to avoid arrest.
The Golf travelling the wrong way up the M60(Image: Greater Manchester Police (GMP))
“Driving towards oncoming traffic on one of the region’s busiest motorways could very easily have resulted in life-changing consequences, causing serious injury or even loss of life”
“Thanks to the professionalism and quick decision-making of our officers, the pursuit was brought to a safe conclusion and Abid was taken into custody before anyone was harmed”
“We will continue to take robust action against those who choose to put the public at risk through dangerous driving. Our roads must be safe for everyone, and offenders who endanger lives can expect to face the full consequences of their actions.”