Drunk driver leads police on terrifying 80 mph car chase

By Jack Evans via SWNS

Shocking footage shows a drunk driver leading police on a terrifying 80 mph chase through busy streets while twice over the legal alcohol limit.

Rakash Lal, 40, ran red lights and repeatedly drove on the wrong side of the road during the 25-minute chase in broad daylight.

He even hurtled across a grassy, central reservation in a desperate bid to outrun the police who were pursuing him on August 14, 2021.

Lal had refused to stop for traffic officers when they spotted him driving erratically in the West Midlands, UK.

He mounted a curb in his Vauxhall Insignia and recklessly drove at speeds of up to 82mph in a 30mph zone.

In the view, a police officer can be heard on his radio saying: “He’s creating a third lane, down the middle of traffic. There’s immediate risk.”

Lal ran several red lights and drove on the wrong way down Birmingham's New Road into oncoming traffic and forced his way through parked cars.

He also drove the wrong way down another busy road in the Birmingham area.

When oncoming traffic blocked his path, he careened across a central reservation to get back on the right side of the road.

An officer then says: “He’s packed his front nearside tire, so possible bailout soon.”

Lal finally came to a halt after he damaged the front tires when he mounted a curb.

A breath test found that he was twice over the legal alcohol limit. Cannabis was also found in his jacket.

At Wolverhampton Crown Court on September 13, Lal, of Halesowen, West Midlands, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, drink driving, and possession of cannabis.

He was jailed for 14 months and banned from driving for five years and five months.

"Mr. Lal drove around the streets of the West Midlands with no care for anyone else’s safety," said officer Dan Lynas from West Midlands Police Traffic Unit.

“I am pleased to see that he took responsibility for his actions and pleaded guilty at court. The only saving grace of this behavior is that no one was hurt. Often this isn’t the case, especially when people choose to get behind the wheel of a car after drinking. There is no excuse for it.”