Dramatic footage shows a driver swerving violently across the M25 and hitting another car before crashing into a concrete barrier.
Jack Doolan, 22, was travelling between junctions 21 and 21a at about 7.50pm on 20 December 2022 when the crash occurred.
Video from a dashcam shows his Ford Mondeo undertaking one car before turning sharply and cutting across all three lanes of the motorway.
The car then swings into a Ford Fiesta travelling in the inside lane before veering back across the carriageway and slamming into the central divide.
At the time, Doolan was travelling at 75mph despite the car being fitted with a space saver tyre, a type of smaller, thinner spare tyre which has a recommended maximum speed of 50mph.
He then failed to stop at the scene and was later arrested by officers.
Doolan, from Cheshunt, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and failing to stop.
Appearing at St Albans crown court on Monday, he was disqualified from driving for two years and sentenced to a community order under which he must carry out 200 hours of unpaid work.
He must also complete 10 days of rehabilitation activity and pay £250 in costs.
Ch Insp Stephen O’Keeffe, from Hertfordshire constabulary’s road policing unit, said the incident was “completely preventable by driving within the conditions of the road environment and vehicle capability”.
“Space saver tyres are only designed to get you to a safe location, at slower speeds, to get the tyre replaced only,” he said.
“It was a miracle that no one was seriously hurt as a result of Doolan’s dangerous and reckless behaviour.”
Space saver tyres are designed to take up less space and weigh less than a traditional spare tyre, but their smaller size means they offer less grip on the surface of the road.
