A motorist who had almost four times the legal limit of alcohol in his breath when he drove the wrong way along the M4 has been jailed for 18 months.
Dramatic CCTV footage shows Lee Johnson, 44, on the wrong side of the motorway before his van clips an oncoming police car and spins into a barrier.
After his arrest Johnson, of Colman Road, east London, was breathalysed and found to be almost four times the drink-drive limit.
He was jailed for 18 months at Reading Crown Court on Friday after previously admitting dangerous driving, driving while over the prescribed alcohol limit and driving without insurance.
“Moments later, the vehicle was seen by the officers heading straight for them.
“Despite the obvious risks to themselves and potential for sustaining injuries, the officers made a quick decision to make deliberate contact with Johnson’s van to bring it to a halt and thereby prevent it getting past them and colliding head-on into other motorists.”
A breath test found Johnson had 120 micrograms of alcohol per 100 millilitres of breath, compared to the legal limit of 35 micrograms.
He thanked the members of the public who reported Johnson, whose driving could have caused “a needless tragedy”.
“I would also like to praise my team whose quick thinking and courageous actions prevented what would have been a devastating collision with other motorists.”
