"it seems inevitable that a fatal collision would happen."
Johal Rathour, aged 18, of Grays, Essex, was jailed for four years after a drove a stolen Range Rover the wrong way through the Blackwall Tunnel and then caused a head-on collision.
CCTV footage showed Rathour speeding the wrong way through the tunnel and into oncoming traffic as terrified motorists get out of the way.
However, the teenager ended up crashing head-on into a Mercedes van, before fleeing the scene on foot.
Fortunately, nobody was seriously injured in the collision.
But Rathour caused £80,000 of damage to the van and the stolen Range Rover he was driving.
He also cost Transport for London £585,000 due to Blackwall Tunnel having to be shut for more than two hours during rush hour traffic.
Rathour was identified as officers from the Met’s Road and Transport Policing Command following the crash at 4:22 am on August 6, 2021.
He was arrested a short time later after officers tracked his mobile phone.
After being charged with dangerous driving and conspiracy to burgle, Rathour failed to attend court.
He was subsequently tracked down and arrested by officers from the East Area Command Unit in January 2022.
At St Albans Crown Court, Rathour was sentenced to four years in prison.
#WATCH | This is the moment a dangerous driver drove the wrong way through the Blackwall Tunnel.
18-year-old Johal Rathour has jailed after crashing into a van in August last year.
Read more ?? https://t.co/LxFRlKF1bT pic.twitter.com/PNbBE331Ae
— Metropolitan Police (@metpoliceuk) May 3, 2022
After sentencing, investigating officer Police Constable Adam Lamb said:
“Rathour was guilty of an incredibly dangerous piece of driving and it was a miracle that nobody was seriously injured.
“Watching the video of him driving the wrong way through the tunnel is very distressing as it seems inevitable that a fatal collision would happen.
“As well as the damage to the stolen vehicle and the van he collided with, Rathour also disrupted and delayed the journeys of thousands of people using Blackwall Tunnel on the day of the crash.
“I am glad that he has faced justice for his actions and will not be able to drive on the roads of London for many years.”
In a similar case, father-of-four Liaquat Hussain was jailed for two years after two high-speed police chases.
In one pursuit, he drove the wrong way on a dual carriageway.
Police had signalled Hussain to stop the VW Golf he was driving on Rouse Mill Lane, Batley.
However, Hussain did not stop and sped away. He drove through at least three sets of traffic lights and at approximately 60mph in 30mph zones.
Hussain drove around the Harburn Estate before reaching speeds of 90mph in Batley town centre.
He then drove the wrong way along a dual carriageway when patrol cars stopped pursuing him.
A police helicopter then tracked Hussain’s vehicle as he narrowly avoided a head-on crash with a van.
The pursuit came to an end when Hussain crashed into a wall and the car overturned.
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