Van drives wrong way down dual carriageway in horrifying police chase footage

Police have released shocking footage showing officers pursue a van through a major UK city as it drives the wrong way along a dual carriageway and runs a red light

Rucsandra Moldoveanu and Ben Haslam 14:46, 28 Jun 2025

Dramatic dashcam footage shows a van driving through a city's suburbs while being chased[1] by police[2]. The van was spotted by officers with its lights off in the early hours of Thursday, June 26, before being pulled over.

As officers[3] got out of their car to speak to the driver, the van sped off down Wigman Road in the Bilborough area of Nottingham.

A six-minute pursuit[4] followed as he was pursued to the Basford area of the city.

In an attempt to evade officers, the driver did a lap around a set of garages, swerved across the road and went the wrong way around a roundabout.

The driver is also seen running a red light in the footage released by Nottinghamshire Police, before turning onto the A6514 Western Boulevard.

At this point in the police chase[5], the van was damaged and seen travelling 600 metres along the wrong side of the dual carriageway.

Sparks could be seen flying from the van after tyres popped during the pursuit before turning off the dual carriageway.

He then abandoned the vehicle and tried to flee the scene.

Officers[6] arrested a 34-year-old man on suspicion of dangerous driving[7] and failing to stop. A bag of cocaine[8] was also found inside the van.

As a result, the man was later arrested on suspicion of drug driving and possession of class A drugs, NottinghamshireLive reports[9].

Inspector Chris Chell, of Nottinghamshire Police[10], said: "As I've said, thankfully because it was in the early hours of the morning, the roads weren't busy, otherwise this could've led to a very serious accident.

"By trailing the van from a safe distance, the officers in pursuit ensured this didn't happen and arrested a suspect soon afterwards, so they deserve a lot of credit for their efforts."

Earlier this year the Mirror[11] reported on Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after seven police officers were injured[12] in a huge pile up in a pile up on the A1 involving five police vehicles and a car.

He also pleaded guilty to driving without insurance and a licence several times after the horrific crash.

The Iran-born defendant, who came to the UK in around 2020, was behind the wheel of a powerful BMW which was being pursued by police along the A1 near the Gateshead and Newcastle border at around 2.30am on April 9 when the collision occurred.

The crash happened near the Derwent Haugh Road junction, on the borders of Gateshead and Newcastle, at 2.27am on April 9.

The Northumbria force said seven officers were taken to hospital with what it described as non-life threatening injuries. They have all since been discharged.

A spokesman said the two occupants of a BMW, which was being pursued at the time, were uninjured.

References

1. ^ chased (www.mirror.co.uk)
2. ^ police (www.mirror.co.uk)
3. ^ officers (www.mirror.co.uk)
4. ^ six-minute pursuit (www.mirror.co.uk)
5. ^ police chase (www.mirror.co.uk)
6. ^ Officers (www.mirror.co.uk)
7. ^ dangerous driving (www.mirror.co.uk)
8. ^ cocaine (www.mirror.co.uk)
9. ^ NottinghamshireLive reports (www.nottinghampost.com)
10. ^ Nottinghamshire Police (www.mirror.co.uk)
11. ^ Mirror (www.mirror.co.uk)
12. ^ reported on Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, who pleaded guilty to dangerous driving after seven police officers were injured (www.mirror.co.uk)