Man charged after police chase crash which injured seven officers
A man has been charged with dangerous driving after seven officers were injured in a crash involving five police vehicles and a car which was being pursued on Tyneside.
Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, of Sylvia Terrace, Durham, will appear at Newcastle Magistrates' Court on Saturday over the collision on the northbound A1 on April 9.
Northumbria Police said he has been charged with dangerous driving, two counts of failing to stop a motor vehicle when required by a constable, two counts of no insurance use, and two counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with licence.
He is also accused of a further four counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with licence and four counts of no insurance use.
The force said a woman in her 20s was released with no further action to be taken in relation to her arrest on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving.
She was, however, released on police bail for suspected drug possession offences, pending further inquiries.
The crash happened near the Derwent Haugh Road junction, on the borders of Gateshead and Newcastle, at 2.27am on April 9.
The Northumbria force said seven officers were taken to hospital with what it described as non-life threatening injuries. They have all since been discharged.
A spokesman said the two occupants of a BMW, which was being pursued at the time, were uninjured.
The collision happened on the A1 carriageway below the roundabout where gunman Raoul Moat shot Pc David Rathband, leaving him blind, in 2010.
The spokesman said officers attempted to stop a dark grey BMW M Sport in the Whickham area of Gateshead at about 2am, because of concerns about the way it was being driven.
The car drove off and was later seen in the Swalwell area.
He said specialist officers from the roads policing unit got behind the car at 2.25am and a pursuit was authorised.
Images from the scene showed four marked police vehicles badly damaged, a car on its side, and debris scattered across the carriageway.
One of the police vehicles had its roof torn off.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hamilton Spectator
2 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Hamilton man with history of gun crimes, including being shot twice, faces charges
A 26-year-old Hamilton man — who has survived being shot twice and was also twice convicted in connection with shootings — is facing new gun and drug charges. Hamilton police major drugs and gangs unit searched a residence and vehicle in Hamilton's east end on Thursday, police said. Detectives seized a loaded Glock 22 handgun, 26 rounds of ammunition, about 35 grams of suspected fentanyl, along with codeine and hydromorphone pills, C$1,740 and US$170. Donavan Hines , 26, and a 24-year-old woman were arrested and jointly charged with firearm, drug and proceeds of crime offences. Hines faces four further charges of possession contrary to an order, because he is already prohibited by the courts for life from possessing weapons. Loaded gun seized from east-end Hamilton search where Donavan Hines, 26, was arrested and charged. The Spectator has previously reported on Hines, who was shot in a gunfight during broad daylight on July 28, 2021 that left him with paralysis. He was still in a wheelchair in August 2023 when he was convicted in that shooting. Hines also survived being shot at in a drive-by shooting at Mohawk Road East, east of Upper James Street, in October 2020. And was convicted of robbery in another, earlier shooting. In the brazen July 2021 shooting Hines was shot eight times by a masked gunman around 5:10 p.m. A then 23-year-old Hines was shot while sitting in a black BMW parked behind a restaurant on Oak Avenue at Barton Street East. Video showed Hines indiscriminately firing retaliatory shots, despite people being out on the street and sitting on nearby porches. 'Quite frankly we're just lucky nobody died to as a result of this,' Ontario Court Justice Michael Wendl said while sentencing Hines to four years. Donavan Hines, in a photo from a 2018 Hamilton police release, is facing new gun and drug charges. Hines pleaded guilty to possession of a firearm and breaching a weapons prohibition order in that case. After credit for pretrial custody he had about 11 months left on his sentence, which would have concluded last summer. Hines also pleaded guilty to robbery in another shooting in March 2018 at Emerald Street North at Barton Street East. In that case a 20-year-old, who Hines new from high school, was shot in the neck during an attempted robbery. 'The Hamilton Police Service remains committed to removing illegal firearms and dangerous drugs from our streets,' police said in a release about the latest gun and drug charges. Anyone with information can contact major drugs and gangs Det. Sgt. Michelle Wiley at 905-546-3887 or mwiley@ . Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Hamilton Spectator
17 hours ago
- Hamilton Spectator
Bible group called 911 about man, later arrested in ramming of Vancouver arena
VANCOUVER - Vancouver police say the suspect in a vehicle ramming at the Pacific Coliseum Thursday night had been the subject of a 911 call earlier that day from a Bible study group. Sgt. Steve Addison says the man was reportedly acting erratically at the church, but he left before officers encountered him. Addison says the 30-year-old Vancouver man had no prior interactions with local authorities on either criminal or mental health grounds. The man was detained after a BMW sedan crashed into the Pacific Coliseum in East Vancouver during a Cirque du Soleil show at around 8 p.m. Thursday. No one was injured in the incident, with Addison calling it a 'miracle' given the number of people inside and outside the arena at the time. Addison says the man is being held under the Mental Health Act and it's believed he was suffering a 'significant' crisis when the ramming happened. Police are not identifying him because he has not been criminally charged. The incident came 40 days after the Lapu Lapu Day Festival attack, also in East Vancouver, where an SUV plowed through a crowd and killed 11 while injuring scores of others. Addison said there was no evidence the latest ramming was linked to terrorism or copied the Lapu Lapu festival attack, but police understand that the public may be fearful given similarities between the two incidents. He said that is why police are ensuring safety at events this weekend' — including the BC Lions' season opener on Saturday and the Italian Day festival on Commercial Drive — by deploying more than 300 additional officers as well as vehicle barriers. The barriers were seen being installed on Commercial Drive on Friday ahead of the Italian cultural festival. 'We fully understand that as soon as this vehicle struck the Coliseum last night, the first thing that was going to be in people's mind was a flashback to what happened 40 days earlier at the Filipino Lapu Lapu festival,' Addison said. 'That's the natural reaction. 'If I have a message for people, it's please know that we're doing everything that we can, in our power, working with our partners to mitigate risks, to make this summer as safe as possible.' This report by The Canadian Press was first published June 6, 2025. Error! Sorry, there was an error processing your request. There was a problem with the recaptcha. Please try again. You may unsubscribe at any time. By signing up, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google privacy policy and terms of service apply. Want more of the latest from us? Sign up for more at our newsletter page .
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Yahoo
Man accused of rape and deliberate HIV transmission
A man has appeared in court accused of raping five males and also intentionally transmitting HIV. Adam Hall, currently of no fixed abode but previously of the Washington area, appeared at South Tyneside Magistrates' Court on Wednesday. The 42-year-old is charged with five counts of rape and a further seven counts of causing grievous bodily harm which relate to the transmission of HIV, police said. He has been remanded in custody ahead of his next appearance at Newcastle Crown Court on 2 July. He has also been charged with two counts of controlling or coercive behaviour and one count of supplying a Class B drug, GHB. Det Ch Insp Emma Smith, of Northumbria Police, urged anyone with information to continue to get in touch with officers. "We recognise the nature of the charges may raise concern and anxiety within our communities," she added. Follow BBC Sunderland on X, Facebook, Nextdoor and Instagram. HM Courts and Tribunals Service
