Driver jailed after drunk and dangerous driving on the M3

This was the moment when a drunk and dangerous driver was rammed by a police car to stop him weaving across the M3 at speeds of up to 100mph.

36-year-old Gary Smith (27/10/87) was spotted just before midnight on Friday 1, December 2023 driving through Esher in a white Seat Leon using false licence plates.

Officers pursued the car, but instead of stopping, Smith sped off down the A3 towards the M25.

A high-speed pursuit was authorised, with more units joining to try and stop Smith before he crashed into another driver.

At Sunbury Cross Junction on the M3, Smith tried to exit the motorway but collided with a police car which was able to ram him to a halt.

He was arrested for dangerous driving, failing to stop, failing to provide for alcohol or drugs, driving whilst disqualified and driving without insurance.

At Guildford Crown Court on Friday, 26 January he was sentenced to six months in jail. He was also fined, disqualified from driving for four years, and must pass an extended test once the disqualification period has ended.

Investigator PC Hayley Jenkins said: “As the footage shows, Smith showed complete disregard both for the law and the safety of anyone else on the road.

“He was lucky the only car he hit was a police car with a specialist driver trained in controlling the collision.”

During December, Surrey Police made 208 arrests under Operation Limit, a national campaign aimed at tackling drink and drug driving between 1 December and 1 January.

Officers also carried out more than 5,000 vehicle checks aimed at catching and educating drivers about the dangers of drink and drug-driving: one of the main causes of why people are killed or seriously injured on our roads.

Policing patrols on the roads continue 24/7, all year round to catch offenders and prevent them causing serious harm to themselves and other road users.