SHOCKING footage shows the moment a motorist speeds around a roundabout with his bonnet obscuring the windscreen – while he tries to evade police in pursuit.
Debris from the car flies across the road and the driver tries multiple times to pull the bonnet down – but it keeps popping back up.
The driver also squeezes his car between two others waiting at a roundabout to get away from officers – who have blue lights on and follow the car onto the roundabout.
The terrifying footage was captured on the outskirts of Winterhay Green, Somerset, on Friday.
The dashcam driver wishes to remain anonymous for fear of repercussions from the driver of the red car, who was convicted of a series of offences including driving whilst disqualified and failing to stop after an accident.
Driver Simon Webb was subsequently given a 12-month ban, a 12 week suspended prison sentence and a fine of £115.
Road safety campaigners slammed the “idiot” driver for putting others at risk with his dangerous driving.
The footage begins with the dashcam driver heading along Station Road in Winterhay Green.
Seconds later a red car appears in the middle of the road – pulling a risky overtake on a busy road with oncoming traffic.
Bizarrely, the red car has its bonnet up in the air visibly obscuring the windscreen as the car speeds off – nearly colliding with a traffic island.
As the car approaches the Southshield’s roundabout the driver hits the brakes momentarily, and can be seen putting his hand out of the drivers’ side window to pull down the bonnet.
Despite there being two lanes of traffic waiting to join the roundabout, the driver manoeuvres the car inbetween the cars waiting and heads immediately onto the busy roundabout.
A few moments later a police car with flashing blue lights appears and as the drivers pull off to the side to let them pass, they join the roundabout in pursuit.
The dashcam driver then heads on to the roundabout and seconds later the red car appears again – and looks to have been using the roundabout to evade police.
The car then turns off the roundabout and speeds off towards Chard, Somerset.
The dashcam driver, who wishes to remain anonymous, said: “This guy is probably local and a career criminal.
“However if he sees this clip he would probably be proud of the way he drove with his dented bonnet in the air.”
The driver Samuel Webb, 30, appeared in front the Taunton Magistrates court on Saturday charged with a series of offences.
Webb was convicted of driving whilst disqualified, failing to stop after an accident, driving without third party insurance and for being convicted of an offence whilst a community order was in force.
Webb was given a 12 month ban, sentenced to a 12 week suspended sentence over 12 months and recieved a fine of £115 with Crown Prosecution Service costs added of £85.
A spokesman for SWD Media, who obtained the footage, said: “This driver was clearly intent on avoiding capture by the police.
“The vehicle was in such an unroadworthy condition and it makes you wonder if it had been stolen and joy ridden.”
Neil Greig, IAM RoadSmart Director of Policy and Research, said: “Footage like this just shows the daily challenges our traffic cops meet trying to keep complete idiots off our roads.
“Anyone so clearly intent on escaping justice presents a clear and present danger to other road users and we should all be grateful that we have such highly trained officers who know how to control and contain such behaviour.”
A spokesman for Somerset Police said: “A man was charged in relation to an incident on the A358 on about 9.25am on June 1.”
