Moment uninsured driver, 25, weaves in and out of traffic as she flees police during 18-mile chase on M62
- Chantelle Lewis, 25, from Manchester was chased by police along the M62
- Lewis, from Manchester, ignored attempts by police to pull her over for 18 miles
- Police found she had no car insurance and only had a provisional driving licence
- She was handed an 18month driving ban, a suspended jail term and a £1,000 fine
Shocking CCTV video shows an uninsured, provisional driver weaving in and out of traffic as she attempts to escape police during an 18-mile chase on the M62.
The Merseyside Police dashcam footage then captures the moment when Chantelle Lewis, 25, was stopped as officers surround the uninsured Vauxhall Zafira car.
Realising the car was not insured, police started pursuing it near to Junction 6 Tarbock Island.
This is the moment police on the M62 near Manchester pulled over Chantelle Lewis, 25, on suspicion of dangerous driving following an 18-mile car chase
Police said the Vauxhall Zafira, pictured, swerved dangerously across the motorway during the 18-mile car chase
Lewis, who only had a provisional licence, failed to stop and weaved across all three lanes between Merseyside and Manchester, ignoring the blue flashing lights in her rear view mirror.
The footage, which was filmed from the dash of one of the police cars showed Lewis on one occasion looks as if she is going to leave the motorway at a junction before swerving back at the last second, narrowly avoiding a pile-up.
One officer can be heard on the car radio saying: ‘Lane two traffic is medium to heavy. Vehicle weaving between lanes two to three.’
He is told over his radio that ‘the pursuit is authorised’.
Lewis is finally forced to stop on the hard shoulder as a police car pulls in front of the vehicle near to Junction 12 Eccles Interchange.
Lewis from Manchester was arrested after the shocking scenes in November 2019 and found to be a provisional licence holder.
She has now been found guilty of dangerous driving and driving without licence/insurance.
Lewis was sentenced on December 11 at Liverpool Crown Court and given a 12-month prison sentence suspended for 18 months, an 18-month driving ban and a £1,000 fine, police today confirmed.
A Merseyside Police spokesman said: ‘We can confirm that a Manchester woman was sentenced following a pursuit on the M62 which happened in November 2019.
‘At around 3.10pm on Friday 8 November, patrols near to junction 6 of the M62 motorway sighted a Vauxhall Zafira which showed no insurance.
Police condemned Lewis’ driving claiming she risked her life and the lives of fellow motorists
‘The car failed to stop and was pursued for 18 miles across three lanes of the motorway, weaving in and out of busy traffic. The car eventually pulled over on the hard shoulder near to junction 12 and the driver was arrested and found to be a provisional licence holder.’
Inspector Carl McNulty of our Roads Policing Unit condemned Lewis who he said had put others at risk.
He said: ‘This was an appalling piece of driving which has been dealt with in the courts. Lewis endangered other road users, police and herself during this incident, all seemingly due to knowing she held no insurance.
‘Don’t even contemplate driving without insurance. The impact on other roads users can be significant, especially in the event of a collision, and we work hard to track down remove from the roads those who do so, and their vehicles.
‘If you suspect anyone you know is driving without insurance or in any way dangerously, please call 999 if a crime is in progress, or contact us via 101, our social media desk @MerPolCC or anonymously via Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.’