Man crashed into police rolling roadblock on A14 near Ipswich while tailgating an ambulance
South East Suffolk Magistrates' Court (stock Image). Picture: GREGG BROWN - Credit: Gregg Brown
A 19-year-old man has been banned from the road for 16 months after crashing into a police rolling roadblock on the A14 near Ipswich while tailgating an ambulance at high speed.
Marius Stroiu, of Camden Road, Ipswich, appeared at Ipswich Magistrates’ Court yesterday, pleading guilty to driving without due care and attention, driving with excess alcohol, driving without a licence and driving without insurance.
Prosecuting, Collette Harper said police had set up a rolling road block on the A14 westbound near Sproughton at around 11pm on Monday, April 10, to allow workers from the Highways Agency to exit their vehicles and safely work on the carriageway.
She said: “Officers started to block he road early to avoid any sharp braking.
“The rolling road block was positioned in the centre of the carriageway to slow down vehicles, and vehicles behind were complying.
“It was a marked BMW X5 with an illuminated matrix saying ‘please do not pass’.
“It was an extremely visible vehicle.”
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“The officers then became aware of blue lights approaching in lane two, the fast lane, and that it was an ambulance.
“As a result, officers moved the BMW X5 into lane one to allow the ambulance to pass.
“Behind that was a vehicle driven by the defendant.
“The defendant’s vehicle rams the police vehicle, hitting the police vehicle with great force from the back.”
She said witnesses described seeing Stroiu’s car, a green Renault Scenic, ‘tailgating’ the ambulance at high speed - estimated to be between 70 and 80mph. As a result of the collision both officers in the vehicle received minor injuries.
Stroiu was arrested and a roadside breath test took place where he blew 44 micrograms of alcohol in 100 millilitres of breath. The legal limit is 35 micrograms.
Officers also discovered he did not have a valid licence or insurance on the vehicle.
Representing himself, Stroui took full responsibility.
He said: “I know that this was my mistake. It is never going to happen again.”
Stroiu was banned from driving for 16 months and was fined a total of £300. He was told he must pay £50 in compensation to each officer, £150 of court costs and a £30 victim surcharge.
