Driver banned for a year after head-on smash with PC

guildford
A drugged-up driver who smashed head-on into a policeman’s car when he pulled a U-turn on a dual carriageway has been banned from the roads for a year.
Carpet fitter Nathan Smith, 32, was originally arrested for attempted murder after performing the manoeuvre as he was pursued by PC Sean Burridge in an unmarked car.
The officer reached speeds of 100 mph in his Ford Focus on the northbound A3, near Guildford, with lights flashing from the grill.
He slammed on his brakes as he saw Smith’s green Lexus IS 200 turning towards him but crashed straight into his car on 15 May last year.
Smith said he had no idea what caused him to turn his vehicle and could only remember waking up to find himself facing the wrong way with a car coming towards him.
The father-of-five was standing trial at the Old Bailey charged with dangerous driving in what the judge said was the ‘most unusual’ case of its type he had ever come across.
But after hearing the prosecution case, Recorder Michael Wood QC said the evidence had not met the high threshold to support a conviction for the offence.
Smith pleaded guilty to a lesser charge of careless driving, then admitted driving after taking with cocaine and benzoylecgonine.
But the judge said: ‘Everyone agreed that those latter two matters almost certainly did not contribute in any way to what happened.
‘The highest it can be put is possibly, which is why the Crown concluded they would not be admissible in this trial.’
He continued: ‘He was originally arrested for attempted murder.’
Prosecutor Elliott Smith admitted: ‘It was a slight overreaction perhaps.’
Smith was disqualified from driving for a year and fined £100.
The court heard PC Burridge saw a dark car overtake another vehicle before pursuing him onto the northbound A3 heading north near Guildford.
‘The officer was travelling at 100 mph and had not caught up with Mr Smith on a road where the speed limit is 70 mph,’ said the prosecutor.
‘The road bends to the left and the officer moved to the outside lane, giving him a better view.
‘What he saw was the car Mr Smith’s car completely across lane one on this two-lane carriageway, turning right towards PC Burridge.
‘PC Burridge was travelling northbound and Mr Smith was turning his vehicle around.
‘PC Burridge then braked as hard as he could and crashed head-on with Mr Smith’s car near the Hurtmore intersection.
‘Both vehicles were examined and there was no defect to either vehicle.
He added: ‘When PC Burridge crashed into him, Mr Smith had in effect turned his vehicle the wrong way on a dual carriageway.
‘The prosecution say if you do that then your driving is dangerous.
‘It falls far below what would be expected from a careful and competent driver.’
In interview, Smith said he could not remember what happened but thought he had lost control due to a tire blow out or something running into the road.
He claimed he had been knocked unconscious and only awoke to find himself facing the wrong way.
PC Burridge admitted in court he could not be sure the speeding vehicle he followed was Mr Smith’s car after he lost sight of it.
An expert witness conceded it was impossible to rule out that Smith’s manoeuvre was the result of an earlier attempt to avoid a hazard.
Smith, of (95) Hazel Avenue, in Guildford, Surrey denied dangerous driving but pleaded guilty to careless driving and two counts of driving with a controlled drug in his blood above the limit proscribed by law.
ENDS