A drunk driver has been told it is “sheer luck that he did not kill somebody” after speeding down Newcastle's Chillingham Road at 86mph.
Liam O’Rourke has been handed a suspended prison sentence and a 14-month disqualification after hurtling through Heaton at almost three times the speed limit on the evening of February 10.
The 22-year-old left people waiting at a nearby bus stop shocked as they saw O’Rourke’s Peugeot fly past reaching speeds of up to 86mph in a 30mph limit. However, a police car was stationary at the next junction and officers were later able to analyse their dashcam footage and calculate his shocking speed.
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With O’Rourke putting the lives of others in danger, police then tracked his movements and were able to pull him over in the Glendale Terrace area of Byker.
Suspecting he was driving whilst under the influence of alcohol, officers carried out a roadside check and the defendant recorded a reading of 58 micrograms per 100 millilitres of breath – comfortably over the 35 micrograms limit.
Sergeant Glen Robson, of Northumbria Police’s Operation Dragoon team, said: “The manner of driving was absolutely appalling and O’Rourke should be ashamed of his actions. In my 19 years of service, I can’t recall anybody travelling down that road as fast as this.
"It’s sheer luck that he did not kill somebody.
“Thankfully, a patrolling police car was in the area and from the dashcam footage we were able to use specialist analysis to determine O’Rourke’s speed. This is just another tool we can use in order to bring dangerous drivers to justice.
“As soon as we saw how fast he was travelling, our immediate priority was to make sure the vehicle was brought to a swift and safe stop – and thankfully we were able to do that within minutes. It came as little surprise that he was also over the legal limit for alcohol.
“We will use every single tactic at our disposal in order to tackle those who endanger the lives of others. O’Rourke’s driving was totally unacceptable – and he proved that he cannot be trusted to be behind the wheel of a car.”
On Monday, February 27, O’Rourke, of Orchard Place, Jesmond, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and driving whilst above the legal limit for alcohol when he appeared before magistrates in Newcastle.
He was subsequently handed an 18-week prison sentence suspended for 12 months, as well as a 14-month driving ban.
After serving his ban, he must also pass an extended driving test before ever being allowed to get behind the wheel again.
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