Driver seriously hurt after wrong-way Audi crashes into them during police chase

An Audi driver crashed on the wrong side of the road during a police chase in Southampton.

The Audi A3 veered into the oncoming traffic on Wednesday afternoon, smashing into a Vauxhall Corsa.

Dashcamera footage shows other drivers calmly going through the traffic lights when suddenly a black Audi zooms past them on the right lane.

It flies into the junction of Shirley Road, Roberts Road and Waterloo Road before crashing head-on into the oncoming Corsa.

The crashed Audi A3 in Southampton on the side of the road with cordon tape around it.

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Some seconds before the collision, the Audi had been spotted by police officers nearby.

They saw the vehicle at about 2.20pm, and it was found to have been previously linked to drug offences in the area.

Officers pulled it over on Blechynden Terrace, but when they got out of the patrol vehicle and approached the Audi, the driver took off quickly, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary said.

The force said: ‘Officers turned on blue lights and began a pursuit.

‘They next came across the vehicle again at the junction of Shirley Road, Roberts Road and Waterloo Road, after it had collided with a Vauxhall Corsa.

‘The driver of the Corsa sustained serious but not life-threatening injuries.’

Two people in the Audi were arrested at the scene.

A 33-year-old man, from London, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, causing serious injury by dangerous driving, and failing to stop.

He was taken to hospital, where he remains with minor injuries.

A 27-year-old man from Essex was also arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving and causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

He was released on bail until November 26 while an investigation is carried out.

Hampshire Constabulary referred itself to the watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC), a standard practice when an incident involves a pursuit.

The force added: ‘A mandatory referral was made to the IOPC, who have since returned it to force with no need to investigate.’

Recent unrelated wrong way crashes have left motorists shaken up in the UK and Ireland.

Five young men and two police officers were killed in a collision on the A66 in Middlesbrough in the early hours of Saturday.

The VW Passat carrying the young men had driven down the wrong way on the dual carriageway seconds after a police chase had been called off, smashing into another patrol vehicle and killing PC Matthew Blades and PC Tom Clough.

A week before, five teenagers died in a head-on crash on the M9 in County Kildare, Ireland, while driving on the wrong side of the motorway.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

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Original source Driver seriously hurt after wrong-way Audi crashes into them during police chase

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