One-legged sexagenarian in car chase crash-and-burn

Jail possible

By Lester Haines • Get more from this author

Posted in Bootnotes, 5th April 2006 12:53 GMT

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A one-legged, 60 year old woman has been warned she faces jail over a one hour, 24 mile car pursuit, which saw the sexagenarian low-speed merchant jump red lights, drive on the pavement and overtake on dangerous bends while a fleet of police cars and a spotter plane gave chase.

The blue-rinse Canonball Run - which began in a health centre carpark in Fareham, Hampshire, - ended only when Sandra Siddle and her artificial leg "crashed her Vauxhall Corsa into a lamppost at Chawton", the Telegraph reports. To cap the whole escapade off nicely, the car then rolled into a ditch and burst into flames.

Siddle had reportedly been conducting some sort of hate campaign against Osborn Health Centre, although the background is not stated. The pursuit began as she blocked in cars in the centre's carpark and, when a female police officer attended the scene, attempted to run over the presumably nimble copper.

Charles Thomas, prosecuting, told Portsmouth Crown Court: "Police cars pursued the defendant with blue flashing lights and sirens on. It was absolutely obvious that she was being required to stop but she ignored these instructions."

Police at one point deployed a "stinger" which took out the Corsa's front tyres, to little effect.

Siddle was found guilty of dangerous driving, has been banned from the road, and warned she may face jail when she returns next month for sentencing. One thing does mitigate in her favour, however: as many of you may have spotted, this was not the most white-knuckle chase of all time. Prosecutor Thomas admitted: "There is no suggestion that she was driving above the speed limit." ®

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