Sunderland teenager charged with dangerous driving after police chase with helicopter and stingers

Police were on patrol in the Durham Road area of Sunderland when they spotted a car that did not show as having a registered keeper.

After following the vehicle and instructing the silver Hyundai’s driver to pull over, he instead sped away – travelling at excess speeds and driving through red lights towards Hendon.

With the assistance of the National Police Air Service, officers tracked the car’s movements and deployed a stinger device near Tunstall Hope Road which brought vehicle and its driver to a stop.

Two men were arrested following the incident on Sunday, April 19 and taken into custody.

Chief Inspector Sam Rennison, of Northumbria Police’s Operations Department, said: “This was a fantastic job by officers who followed their instincts after suspecting something was not right.

“When the occupants refused to pull over, our trained and skilled motor patrols officers followed the car, and with assistance from the police helicopter, were able to utilise a stinger device which brought a potentially dangerous vehicle to a quick stop.”

An 18-year-old Sunderland man has now been charged with dangerous driving, no insurance, driving without a licence and failing to stop.

A 19-year-old man, also from Sunderland, has been charged with possessing an offensive weapon and possessing a quantity of cannabis.

Both are due to appear before magistrates in South Tyneside next month.

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