Terrifying moment fleeing biker crashes into pregnant woman’s car during 100mph chase

A rider on a stolen motorbike led police on a 100mph chase before crashing into a car being driven by a heavily-pregnant woman, a court has heard. Just days after pleading guilty to that offending and being banned from the roads Luca Dunn led officers on another chase - this time in a van - which required to use of a police helicopter to track him. Dunn's barrister told Swansea Crown Court[1] it was accepted his client had shown "scant regard for the safety and well-being of other road users".

He said in the defendant's own words he was "mortified" when he learned that the car he crashed into was being driven by a pregnant woman, and he said Dunn realised the consequences of what could have happened on the day in question. Ryan Bowen, prosecuting, told the court that at 5.15pm on June 2 last year a police officer in a marked car was performing speed checks on passing traffic on the A4067 Ffordd Cwm Tawe dual carriageway at Swansea Vale when two motorcycles sped past him towards Swansea[2] city centre. The second of the two bikes - a Yamaha MT-07 being ridden by Dunn - was clocked at 91mph in the 50mph zone.

With blue lights illuminated the officer set off after the bikers and at one stage caught up with Dunn and signalled for him to stop - instead the defendant accelerated away. The court heard the two bikes went their separate ways at the Swan Inn roundabout and the officer continued his pursuit of Dunn with the defendant heading towards town on the A4067 at speeds touching 100mph. The prosecutor said at one stage Dunn encountered two vehicles side by side in the carriageway ahead of him and overtook them both by squeezing through the gap between the Range Rover in the right-hand lane and the central reservation. For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter here[3]

Luca Dunn following his unidentified companion at the Swansea Inn roundaboutLuca Dunn following his unidentified companion at the Swansea Inn roundabout

The prosecutor said the defendant continued past the Swansea.com Stadium and slowed dramatically as he approached the roundabout at the end of the dual carriageway.

Instead of entering the roundabout Dunn rode over the pedestrian crossing in the central reservation and raced back the way he had come. The court heard the defendant then entered Neath Road and sped along the 20mph zone in Plasmarl at speeds of around 70mph while "haphazardly overtaking" cars he encountered. The incident came to an end when Dunn crashed into a car which was making a right turn ahead of him and he was thrown from his machine.

The pursuing police officer arrived on the scene seconds after the crash and found 25-year-old Dunn laying on the road. He told the officer he was okay. The prosecutor said it then emerged that the driver of the car the defendant had just crashed into was six months pregnant but he said fortunately she had suffered no injury in the collision.

Checks showed that the Yamaha which Dunn had been riding had previously been stolen though it was not known by whom nor how Dunn came to be in possession of it.

Dunn was thrown from the stolen Yamaha after colliding with a car on Neath Road om PlasmarlDunn was thrown from the stolen Yamaha after colliding with a car on Neath Road om Plasmarl

Dunn was subsequently charged in connection with the riding and pleaded guilty at Llanelli Magistrates Court on January 3 this year where matters were committed to Swansea Crown Court for sentencing and Dunn was released on bail and made the subject of an interim driving ban. The court heard that just five days after being banned Dunn became involved in another police pursuit this time in Llanelli[4]. The defendant - now at the wheel of a van which was registered to a company in a different part of the UK - hit speeds of 70mph on 30mph streets, drove over a grass verge, and went the wrong way along a one-way street in his attempt to evade police.

The prosecutor said officers on the ground lost contact with the defendant and a National Police Air Service helicopter was called in to help with the resultant search. Dunn was subsequently spotted near an industrial estate in Llangennech and arrested. Luca Dunn, of Ger yr Ysgol, Burry Port, Carmarthenshire[5], had previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, driving otherwise than in accordance with a licence, driving without insurance, driving without due care and attention, and driving while disqualified when he appeared in the dock for sentencing.

He has six previous convictions for eight offences including failing to stop after an accident, driving without insurance, and possession of a Class B drug with intent to supply from March 2023 for which he was sentenced to 13 months in prison suspended for 24 months. David Singh, for Dunn, accepted the motorcycle pursuit had been an "appalling" piece of driving and said his client had shown "scant regard for the safety and well-being of other road users". He said in the defendant's own words he was "mortified" when he learned that the car he crashed into in Plasmarl was being driven by a pregnant woman and he said Dunn realised the consequences of what could have happened that day.

With one-third discounts for his guilty pleas recorder Christian Jowett sentenced Dunn to 14 months in prison for dangerous driving and to three months for driving while disqualified in respect of the Llanelli matters to run consecutively making an overall sentence of 17 months. No separate penalties were imposed for the other offences. Recorder Jowett said taking totality of sentence into account he would reduce the 17 months to 14 months.

Dunn will serve no more than half the 14 months in custody before being released on licence to serve the remainder in the community.

The defendant was disqualified from driving for a total of 30 months and must pass an extended test before he can get a licence.

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References

  1. ^ Swansea Crown Court (www.walesonline.co.uk)
  2. ^ Swansea (www.walesonline.co.uk)
  3. ^ For the latest court reports sign up to our crime newsletter here (www.walesonline.co.uk)
  4. ^ Llanelli (www.walesonline.co.uk)
  5. ^ Carmarthenshire (www.walesonline.co.uk)