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WATCH: Moment ‘drifter’ comes close to injuring Peterborough spectators
‘Drifter’ at Peterborough car meet hits on-lookers
Drifting – described simply as a deliberate, controlled skid by a vehicle turning through a corner at high speed – nearly ended in disaster in Peterborough, police revealed. Two men have been before the courts, one sentenced on the day the other, who admitted causing serious injury by dangerous driving, will be back soon for sentencing.
The first to be caught driving dangerously at two car meets in Peterborough has been disqualified from driving.
On 1 July last year, Jaymie Currie, 26, was caught on video “drifting” round a roundabout at speed in a black BMW 320D with pedestrian on-lookers in John Wesley Road, Werrington.
Road policing officers issued him with a section 59 warning under the Police Reform Act 2022, meaning should either him or the BMW be found to be involved in anti-social behaviour (ASB) again, the vehicle can be seized, and further action taken.
Two months later, on 2 September, police were called out to a car meet in Waterworth Road, Alwalton, after a purple Mazda MX5 had collided with a pedestrian, causing serious injuries to his leg and head.
‘Car meets have been a problem in Peterborough for some time’ say Cambridgeshire police
While there, video footage was passed to the officers of a silver BMW 320D drifting round a roundabout.
Currie was identified as the driver and issued his second section 59 warning within a 12-month period, and the car was seized.
The vehicle was examined, and several major defects were identified, making it unroadworthy, dangerous to drive and in such a poor condition it wouldn’t have passed an MOT.
Currie, of Earls Court, Fletton, was interviewed in relation to the findings and later charged with driving a motor vehicle dangerously after he admitted being the driver of the silver BMW and changing its wheels, but claimed he was unaware of the other defects.
He appeared before Peterborough magistrates’ on June 28, where he was disqualified from driving for 18 months, and is required to pass an extended re-test before regaining his licence after admitting a charge of dangerous driving.
He was also ordered to complete a 20-day Rehabilitation Activity Requirement (RAR) and 140 hours of unpaid work.
A second man, 22-year-old Albert Hall, of High Street, Stanwick, Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, was charged with causing serious injury by dangerous driving in relation to the collision with the pedestrian.
He has admitted the offence in court and is awaiting sentencing.
PC James Goose, from the Road Policing Unit (RPU), said: “Currie has shown a blatant disregard for other road users by driving in a dangerous and anti-social manner, and is very lucky there was no collision which could have been fatal to onlookers, himself, or other road users.
“I hope whilst disqualified he can take time to reflect on his actions and learn from this when it comes to completing the extended retest.
“Car meets have been a problem in Peterborough for some time and is something that RPU alongside other departments such as neighbourhood policing have been tackling.
“Although these events are often intended to be good-natured for car enthusiasts, they can also become incredibly dangerous and can cause damage to the roads as well as potentially putting the community at risk.”
Anti-social driving can be reported to police via the web chat service or online forms at www.cambs.police.uk/report. Anyone without internet access should call 101.
