A drug and drink driver has been jailed for 16 months after a high-speed police pursuit that saw his car launched into the air and somersault across a roundabout in North Yorkshire.
The incident began on the evening of Monday, July 21, 2025, when North Yorkshire Police received a report from a member of the public about a vehicle being driven dangerously on the A166 near Garrowby Hill in East Yorkshire. Officers located a white BMW 3 Series and activated their blue lights, but the driver failed to stop.
What followed was an “extremely dangerous” pursuit, according to police, along the A166, A64, and onto the A1 southbound. The BMW, registered to an address in Guiseley, Leeds, reached speeds of 130mph on the A64 before accelerating to 140mph on the A1(M). The chase ended moments later as the driver exited at Junction 42. Failing to negotiate the roundabout, the BMW struck it at high speed, became airborne, and rolled several times before coming to rest in a hedge. Dramatic police dashcam footage captured the vehicle somersaulting through the air.
The driver, 35-year-old Ashley Parr of Moorland Drive, Guiseley, sustained injuries in the crash which left him off work for nine weeks. He later pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, drug driving, drink driving, and failing to stop for police.
Court sentencing and police response
At York Crown Court on Monday, April 20, 2026, Parr was sentenced to 16 months imprisonment and banned from driving for three years and eight months. Sentencing him, Judge Simon Hickey stated that immediate custody was the only possible sentence for “driving in such a manner” on “two major arterial roads that run through our country.”
Following the sentencing, Traffic Constable Nick Simpson of North Yorkshire Police emphasised the potential consequences of Parr’s actions. He said the driving “could easily have resulted in the death of other road users, as well as the driver himself.” TC Simpson reiterated the force’s commitment to road safety, stating, “We are relentless in our approach to making North Yorkshire’s roads safer for everyone. Removing individuals who drive in this manner sends a clear message that this behaviour will not be tolerated.” He also expressed gratitude to the vigilant member of the public who initially reported the dangerous driving, urging others to call 999 if they witness driving that poses an immediate danger.
The stretch of road where the incident was first reported has a tragic history. The A166 near Garrowby Hill was the site of a crash in August 2019 that resulted in two fatalities, and a collision in December 2023 which led to the deaths of a 66-year-old man and a 10-year-old girl, with six others seriously injured.
