This is the moment a dangerous driver sped the wrong way down an A-road at top speed in a bid to escape from police.
Alan McDonnell, 29, put lives at risk on the border of Essex and London as he tried to flee from officers following a traffic stop.
He attempted to drop pursuing officers between Basildon and Dagenham while being tailed from a helicopter, with thermal imaging cameras showing every detail of the GTA-style escape.
The pursuit started in Basildon in the afternoon of December 19, 2025, when officers told the grey Audi A4 to stop for being uninsured.
However, after initially pulling over, McDonnell fled onto the A13, reaching speeds of up to 115mph in rush hour traffic.
Police helicopter cameras captured him as he overtook several vehicles, zooming the wrong way on the busy Southend-bound slip road with oncoming traffic before cutting into a grassy verge.
Eventually he abandoned the car near Cook Road, Dagenham, and ran, while the National Police Air Service (NPAS) chopper tracked him.
Police officers caught him as he lay on the ground, and he was arrested.
McDonnell has been jailed for a year after a hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 5.
He admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop when directed by police, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance.
He was also banned from driving for a further three years and four months, and is required to pass an extended retest before being allowed to have a driving licence again.
Adam Pipe, from Essex Police roads policing unit, said: ‘This case shows the lengths some drivers will go to in an attempt to avoid us, but it also demonstrates the resources and tactics we have available to keep our roads safe.
‘Working alongside our colleagues at NPAS meant we were able to continue tracking McDonnell even after he abandoned the car and tried to run away.’
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