Speeding hit and run driver who fled police jailed

A man who hit a cyclist during a high speed police chase at speeds of up to 70mph, has been jailed for a year and banned from driving for three and a half years.

Josse Jackson, 24, of Grimsby, was told he “cared little or nothing for the safety of other” people during the chase, in which he crossed blind junctions at twice the speed limit, and it was "only by good fortune" the cyclist, Adam Macklan, 23, escaped with a deep cut on his foot after Jackson’s car hit Macklan’s handlebars, throwing him off his bike.

Jackson admitted dangerous driving, having no insurance and driving with the wrong class of licence on October 13.

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Laura Marshall, prosecuting, told Grimsby Crown Court police had pulled Jackson over for driving without his car lights on after 9pm, reports the Grimsby Telegraph.

She said Jackson’s “eyes appeared to be rolling around” and he seemed under the influence of drink or drugs. He did not open his window, and accelerated away from police, drove the wrong side of a keep left bollard, before crossing a junction and speeding at 50-70mph in 20mph and 30mph speed limit zones.

He hit the handlebars of Macklan’s bike at a junction, throwing him off and leaving him “laid out” in the middle of the road. Macklan suffered a painful deep cut to his foot, which caused him to limp. The top of his shoe was ripped and the bicycle damaged. A car was also damaged in the crash.

The police lost sight of the car, but caught it again after Jackson crashed into a street sign and communications box. The driver’s air bag had activated and Jackson fled the scene. Forensic examination of the air bag identified Jackson as the driver, and he was arrested on November 9.

Unemployed Jackson had convictions for more than 40 offences, none of them related to driving, the court heard, and none of them recent. He was involved with legal highs at the time, and suffered from mental health problems.

Charlotte Baines, mitigating, said it was “mercifully and only by good fortune” the cyclist was not more seriously injured and was able to get up almost immediately.

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Judge David Tremberg told Jackson: "You sped off. You drove across blind junctions at twice in excess of the speed limit.

"You ended up striking a cyclist and still you didn't stop. You made good your escape, having crashed your car.

"On this night, you cared little or nothing for the safety of other members of the public and you posed a real and substantial danger of causing death or serious injury to a wholly innocent member of the public by what I consider to be an appalling piece of driving.

"It is a matter of pure good fortune that you did not cause such injury."