Shrewsbury danger driver smashed stolen van into police car one year after crashing into lorry
A dangerous driver who smashed into a lorry and ended up in a wheelchair failed to learn his lesson - crashing a stolen van into a police car just over a year later.
Cocaine and cannabis addict Michael Wilkinson, who was already banned from driving, first crashed a Citroen C4 into an HGV when making a "highly dangerous" overtaking manoeuvre on the A488 towards Hanwood, near Shrewsbury.
Victims of Wilkinson's recklessness told Shrewsbury Crown Court through their statements of the "horrible day" he caused the smash in a car he took without the owner's permission.
A woman who was Wilkinson's passenger sustained serious leg injuries, while the lorry driver suffered damage to his knee and had to have post-traumatic stress therapy after the crash on August 16, 2021.
Wilkinson himself spent four months in hospital and a year in a wheelchair. But it was not enough for the 45-year-old to learn from his mistake.
On September 29 last year, Wilkinson was in Montford Bridge, driving a Ford Transit which had been stolen from the Shawbury area. Police chased Wilkinson on the A49 and country roads. Their dash cam footage showed he ran a red light and drove at 75mph in a 30mph residential zone.
A collision took place between the van and police car, and Wilkinson ran off into a nearby field. He was soon arrested by an officer.
