Car flipped as driver fled police

A DRIVER who led police on a motorway chase lost control of his car, which flipped ‘several times’ before landing on its roof, a court heard.

Stephen Price, 42, emerged from the black Ford Mondeo without serious injury following the pursuit on the M56.

He narrowly avoided jail after pleading guilty to dangerous driving.

Manchester Crown Court heard that Price was spotted by officers on Altrincham Road in Baguley, Wythenshawe, at 1.10am on June 9.

There was extensive damage to the front and rear panels of the car, as well as to one of the wheels, prosecutor Andrew MacIntosh said.

Officers decided to catch up to the vehicle.

As they got nearer, the car sped off onto the M56.

Mr MacIntosh said Price began weaving in between traffic, causing other drivers to take evasive action.

He then swerved across the chevrons, narrowly missing another car, and drove up the slip road to Palatine Road after a mile-long pursuit.

Price then lost control of the car.

The vehicle ‘span out and flipped over several times,’ the court heard.

Police helped Price out of the car, and he was taken to hospital where he spent a number of hours before being released.

Price was not charged with drink or drug-driving, and the judge said it was ‘difficult to know’ what contributed to the bad driving.

His defence lawyer Peter Malone said that Price, who was recently convicted of drink-driving, had ‘panicked’ when he saw officers.

Judge David Hernandez: said: “You should regard yourself as very fortunate, because you have come within a whisker of losing your liberty. “It’s a very serious piece of driving. “You could have killed yourself or other road users.”

The judge said there was no ‘reasonable explanation’ as to why Price, of Arbor Drive, Burnage, was driving dangerously.

He said: “It may be that you were driving knowing you had consumed a lot of alcohol that night. But I have no direct evidence of that.

“It may have been there was someone else in your car who was up to no good, because they didn’t hang around. But I have no direct evidence of that.”

Price was sentenced to six months in prison, suspended for 18 months.