Washington teen drug driver's police pursuit ends in crash

Scott Van der Vord, who had been smoking cannabis claims he panicked when police signalled for him to stop on May 18, Sunderland magistrates heard.

Instead, the 19-year-old, who only has provisional driving licence, sped off in his W-reg Vauxhall Corsa, before eventually crashing into a parked vehicle in quiet residential street, the court was told.

Prosecutor Laura Lax said: “The officer’s attention was drawn to a Vauxhall Corsa, because of the manner in which is was being driven, which was described as being erratic, swerving across the lanes.”

Miss Lax said the blue lights on the police cars were illuminated but Van der Vord failed to stop, instead speeding away, along several streets, before finally ending up in Biddick Villas.

Miss Lax added: “The Corsa came to a stop because it had collided with a parked vehicle.

“The defendant was spoken to as he sat in the driver’s seat and was then detained by police, after taking a drug test, which he failed.

A blood test confirmed he had 8.3 microgrammes of cannabis-derivative delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol per 100ml of blood – the legal limit being 2.

The court heard the parked vehicle cost £318 to repair.

Van Der Vord, of Warkworth Close, Oxclose, Washington, pleaded guilty to drug driving, failing to stop when directed by police, and driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence and without insurance.

Gerry Armstrong, defending, said: “He’s been through the system in relation to being in care and will have assistance until he’s 25 years old, after leaving care, and is under the supervision of a care worker.

“While he is concerned that a young man, for no apparent, reason finds himself driving around in a car without a licence , without insurance, fails to stop for police, an then is over the limit in relation to the offence of drug driving, he does feel that this is out of character for him.”

Van der Vord was sentenced to a 12-month community order, with 20 days’ specified activity and 80 hours’ unpaid work.

He was also banned from driving for 18 months and was told to pay a £85 victim surcharge.