Suspected drug-driver arrested after speeding through roadworks at 94mph

A VAN driver was arrested after police saw him speeding at 94mph on the A338 Bournemouth Spur Road and performing dangerous manoeuvres.

Officers from Dorset Police’s No Excuse team spotted the white vehicle as they travelled southbound towards the town around 8pm last Wednesday.

The van continued driving at over 90mph for about two or three miles - a speed it maintained even after entering roadworks which have a temporary 40mph limit.

A post about the incident on the No Excuse Facebook page said several vehicles were tailgated by the offending van as it entered Wessex Way, “bullying” them out of the way.

“We witnessed two dangerous undertakes, through the Richmond Hill area of the Wessex Way,” the post said.

“The van was exceeding 70mph in the 40mph [zone], undertaking several vehicles, cutting back across to the outside lane.”

At the Cambridge Road roundabout, the van positioned itself in the left-hand lane to turn left towards the Triangle at Bournemouth. However, at the last minute, it cut in front of other vehicles and went straight on towards the LV roundabout.

Officers stopped the van, driven by a 31-year-old man from Poole, who was shown the footage they had recorded.

“The driver had no explanation for his actions,” said the post.

As well as being issued with a court ticket for speeding, tailgating and driving without due care and attention, the offender was given a drug swipe test.

Showing positive for cocaine and cannabis, he was arrested and taken into custody for blood samples to be taken.

The Facebook post added: “I’ve not come across such poor driving like this in a long time.”

Officers vowed to pay more attention to the offending driver as part of Operation Dragoon, a scheme launched in collaboration with Dorset’s roads policing team to target those most likely to kill on the county’s highways.

The operation lead said: "Road deaths should not be an inevitable result of travelling on the road network in Dorset.

"Officers will not only engage with offenders early on to deter a continuation or escalation of their behaviour, but throughout any criminal proceedings and after their license is returned.”

The A338 roadworks are due to come to an end later this month after being carried out for over nine months.

As reported in the A&T, average speed cameras went live on the spur road at the end of May.