A man who drove more than 10 miles on the wrong side of the A45 near Northampton, at speeds of up to 100mph while nearly twice the legal alcohol limit, was lucky not to kill anyone, a judge has said.
Olaleye Ogunrinde, aged 55, of Cottagewell Court, Standens Barn, forced cars to desperately swerve out of his way after he joined the dual carriageway in the wrong direction, at Wootton, and then travelled to the Great Doddington roundabout.
Northampton Crown Court heard that Ogunrinde was seen to reverse his car into a parked vehicle in Grange Park at 11.55pm on November 3 last year.
Alex Bull, prosecuting, said Ogunrinde then joined the A45 in the wrong direction, causing at least one car to crash into a roadside barrier to avoid a head-on collision.
Ms Bull said a police car joined the A45 and travelled parallel with Ogunrinde’s vehicle and clocked it travelling at speeds of up to 100mph.
Ogunrinde, who does not have a UK driving licence, was finally stopped by police and told officers he was “trying to get off” the road, despite missing 17 opportunities to exit during his 10.7-mile journey.
The vehicle also contained Ogunrinde’s wife and two children, both aged under five years old.
Judge Rupert Mayo, sentencing, said: “This is an exceptional case. I’ve not seen dangerous driving this bad for a long time. It is a mercy that you did not kill anyone.”
Ogunrinde, who gave officers a reading of 66 microgrammes of alcohol in 100ml breath, which is nearly twice the legal limit of 35mg, was sentenced to 14 months in prison, suspended for 18 months. He must complete 120 hours of unpaid work, pay a £250 fine, a victim surcharge of £100 and costs of £350. He has been disqualified from driving for 16 months.
He pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and not having a UK licence or insurance.