Epsom man jailed over dangerous driving and drug dealing links

23-year-old Tyrone Johnson, of Ebbisham Road, Epsom, was convicted of three offences, including being concerned in the supply of crack cocaine, being concerned in the supply of heroin and dangerous driving.

He was jailed for four years.

Footage released by Surrey Police showed the dramatic moments when Mr Johnson attempted to flee police, leading to a high speed and dangerous pursuit through Epsom.

He later crashed and was subsequently arrested.

A spokesperson for Surrey Police described the events that led to Mr Johnson's arrest:

"Johnson was driving his own car, a grey Volkswagen Golf, in Fir Tree Road, Epsom, around 1.30pm on September 26 when he was spotted by police who tried to stop the vehicle. Johnson failed to stop and made off with officers in pursuit.

"However, the manner in which he was driving was so dangerous that officers decided to abandon the pursuit.

"Shortly afterwards, Johnson’s car collided with a set of traffic lights in Tattenham Way at the junction with Reigate Road.

"The collision resulted in significant damage to both his car and the traffic lights. He also narrowly avoided colliding with another vehicle containing an 11-week-old child."

Image via Surrey Police

PC Elliott Hartley from the Operation Viking team who were responsible for arresting Mr Johnson, described just how dangerous his driving had been that day:

"The lengths to which Johnson went to try and avoid police is beyond belief and it is pure luck that he didn’t hurt anyone else, given the speed he was driving and the risks he took," he said.

"Johnson also narrowly avoided crashing into a car with an 11-week old baby on board. This near miss, which could have resulted in a far more tragic outcome, was mentioned when he was being sentenced.

"When he did eventually crash, the damage was so significant that his car was a write-off and the traffic lights were struck with such force that they were flat on the ground."