Man jailed over school bus crash

A young English man who led police on a dangerous chase before crashing into a school bus has been jailed for 27 months.

James Poole, 20, was spotted recklessly weaving between cars in a stolen BMW in Winchester, in England's south last October, The Mirror reports.

Police flashed their sirens to make him stop but the thief sped off with three passengers in the vehicle.

Police dashcam footage shows how the 20-year-old risked his life as well as those of his passengers and other motorists as he ran red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road at more than 140km/h.

The pursuit only came to and end when Poole crashed into a stationary school bus as he tried to squeeze between it and a truck.

The passengers fled the scene but Poole was arrested in the driver's seat.

Recorder Nigel Lickley QC said he had shown a complete disregard for the safety of others.

"This case clearly crosses the custody threshold and a suspended sentence is not appropriate," he said.

"You were very fortunate nobody was seriously injured."

Poole admitted driving a stolen vehicle, driving dangerously and without a licence or insurance and was sentenced to 27 months in prison.

Source: The Mirror

Author: Martin Zavan, Approving editor: Nick Pearson