A disqualified driver has been captured on video jumping out of a moving car during a police chase in the Midlands. Conrad Tonkinson, 22, reached speeds of 50mph in a 30mph zone and made a series of sudden turns as officers pursued him through residential streets in Ollerton and Boughton, Nottinghamshire.
The Pursuit
The incident began around 1:35pm on April 21 when a Roads Policing Unit officer's onboard system flagged the vehicle Tonkinson was driving as potentially being operated illegally. When Tonkinson noticed he was being followed, he accelerated and drove erratically through the area.
He snaked around residential streets before reaching a dead end in Bentinck Close. Realizing there was no escape, he opened the driver's side door and leapt from the still-moving Nissan Qashqai. The blue vehicle continued rolling and crashed into a garden wall.
Tonkinson then attempted to flee on foot, hurdling over fences and removing his shirt. However, officers quickly caught up with him and marched him back to the police car in handcuffs.
Court Appearance
Tonkinson, of Turner Lane, Boughton, appeared at Nottingham Magistrates' Court the following day, where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, and driving without valid insurance. He has been remanded into custody until May 13, when he will be sentenced at Nottingham Crown Court.
Police Statement
Detective Sergeant Paul Clark of Nottinghamshire Police commented on the case: 'The level of driving demonstrated by Tonkinson that day was extremely poor and put others on the roads with him at risk.'
'Despite it being early afternoon and him being on residential streets at the time, he decided to take off at speed and make a series of erratic decisions behind the wheel. That was summed up by him abandoning the car he was driving while it was still moving, springing from the driver's seat and allowing it to crash into a wall.'
Clark added: 'Tonkinson's terrible driving was in complete contrast to the excellent standards shown by the Roads Policing Unit officers behind him. Thanks to their superior driving skills and the pace they showed in the subsequent foot chase, nobody was hurt, while we were able to detain Tonkinson and put him before the courts.'
