Thug Sentenced After 100mph Stolen Car Chase Ends in Mid-Air Crash
A 21-year-old driver, Ben Marchant, received a 12-month prison sentence for a dangerous high-speed pursuit in a stolen vehicle that concluded with the car becoming airborne.
A dangerous police chase that reached speeds of 100 mph ended when a stolen car collided with a curb and launched into the air before crashing. The incident occurred in the early hours of April 21 on the A303 in Wiltshire.
Ben Marchant, 21, of Southampton, was driving a stolen Vauxhall Insignia when he was spotted by police. After attempting to evade officers by swerving dangerously through traffic, Marchant accelerated to over 100 mph. The pursuit concluded when Marchant attempted to exit the dual carriageway at the junction for Barton Stacey. He struck a curb while trying to make the turn, causing the vehicle to become airborne and eventually come to rest on a grass verge.
Officers immediately apprehended Marchant at the scene. Police dashcam footage captured the dramatic moment the car went airborne.
Marchant was subsequently charged with failing to stop, dangerous driving, theft of a vehicle, and possession of a Class B drug. He was sentenced last month to 12 months' imprisonment, disqualified from driving for five years, and ordered to pay a £228 fine.
PC Tom Webster of Wiltshire Police's Roads Policing Unit commented on the incident, calling the footage "shocking." He emphasized the significant risk Marchant posed to himself and other road users by driving at such excessive speeds. "Drivers like Marchant who show a total disregard for others should be dealt with robustly, and I am pleased that a custodial sentence and lengthy disqualification has been given," Webster stated.