CCTV footage of a biker getting rammed into a van after he’d vandalised a number of cars has been released by police.
The shocking footage shows the moment Ashley Wood was pursued by an orange Fiat Punto on Victoria Road in Pinxton, Derbyshire, before being rammed off his bike and into a parked van.
As a result of the collision, Wood was left lying in the middle of the road unconscious, having sustained serious injuries.
Take a look at what happened below:
In the minutes leading up to the incident which happened on June 15 last year, 29-year-old Wood had embarked on a ‘spree of criminal damage’ and had tried to kick in a number of car wing mirrors while speeding along pavements on a mini motorbike.
The 29-year-old was yesterday (April 4) sentenced for the series of offences that took place prior to the incident, with the CCTV footage being released by police in the hope that the driver of the car will be found.
The driver of the Fiat Punto drove off immediately after the collision and the car was later found burnt out in a layby. Officers from Derbyshire Constabulary are continuing the investigation in an attempt to identify the driver.
Wood, of Talbot Street, Pinxton, was found to be over the drink-drive limit at the time of the crash and was also under the influence of drugs when he raced down streets.
After the incident, the 29-year-old had to spend a week in hospital to receive treatment for his injuries and was eventually charged with dangerous driving, driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs, and driving without a license or insurance.
Yesterday he pleaded guilty to all charges and was sentenced to eight months in prison – suspended for 18 months – at Nottingham Crown Court. He also received a 12 month driving ban.
Detective Sergeant Scott Riley, from Derbyshire Constabulary’s Collision Investigation Unit, said:
Ashley Wood decided one morning that he was going to ride around on a mini motorbike, kicking the wing mirrors of cars parked across Pinxton.
It’s clear from the CCTV footage that he had no regard for other people’s property, or indeed for other people’s safety. He rides at speed along pavements and, during the course of our investigations, we discovered he was riding under the influence of drink and drugs.
The consequences could have been much worse. I’m pleased that he’s now been sentenced for his reckless actions and I hope this sends a clear message that we won’t tolerate behaviour like this on the streets of Derbyshire.
However, police are also investigating what happened afterwards and are appealing to the public to come forward with any information they may have about the driver of the Fiat.
Detective Riley continued:
The Punto was driven off, leaving Ashley at the scene with a number of extremely serious, but thankfully not life-threatening, injuries. We believe that this was a deliberate act, but we still do not know who was driving the Punto.
Our investigation into that incident is still ongoing and I urge anyone who has information on the person or people responsible to ring us.
Anyone with any information is asked to get in touch by calling 101 and quoting the reference number 18000276164.
You can also call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
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A Broadcast Journalism Masters graduate who went on to achieve an NCTJ level 3 Diploma in Journalism, Lucy has done stints at ITV, BBC Inside Out and Key 103. While working as a journalist for UNILAD, Lucy has reported on breaking news stories while also writing features about mental health, cervical screening awareness, and Little Mix (who she is unapologetically obsessed with).