Man arrested after 80mph van collides with taxi in high-speed Nottinghamshire police chase
A police pursuit in Worksop reached a dangerous crescendo as a runaway van crashed into a taxi before officers brought the chaotic scene to a close.
Nottinghamshire Police had been monitoring a van along Owday Lane, Worksop, on 30 October. Intelligence suggested the vehicle was being driven by a disqualified driver, prompting the Roads Policing Unit and Road Crime Unit to act.
As support teams moved into position for a tactical stop, the van suddenly accelerated along Liquorice Lane, ignoring police commands to pull over.
The situation escalated when the van sped towards a densely populated area of Worksop. Despite officers activating blue lights and sirens, the driver showed a blatant disregard for road safety, racing at speeds exceeding 80mph. The van then ran a red light and veered onto the wrong side of the road near the Gateford Road junction.
In a desperate attempt to evade capture, the driver took a sharp turn onto Watson Road, where the van collided with a taxi. The impact ended any chance of escape, but the driver remained defiant, ramming into police vehicles in a final bid for freedom. Officers swiftly positioned their cars to box in the van, and seconds later, managed to extract the ignition key and detain the suspect.
A 21-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to stop, failing to provide a specimen for analysis, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence.
No injuries were reported from the collision with the taxi.
Inspector Rob Harrison said: “Tacking and reducing vehicle offending, including speeding and dangerous driving, is a local policing priority in Bassetlaw.
“Thanks to some brilliant teamwork involving the roads policing unit, roads crime team, and our neighbourhood policing team, they managed to stop this dangerous driver and bring the incident to a safe conclusion, risking their own safety to keep the public safe.
“Making our roads safer continues to be a key priority for our officers, as we know it is for our residents.
“We encourage anyone who has concerns about a particular roads related issue in their community, such as speeding, to contact their local neighbourhood policing team. Reports will be looked into and allow us to plan future activity to further support the community.”
