A dangerous driver has been jailed for more than two and a half years after leading police on two high speed pursuits in West Sussex. Louis Brown, of Lavington Close, Crawley, was identified after officers on patrol in the town spotted a vehicle of interest in Crawley Avenue. They started following it but then realised the silver Mini Cooper overtook another car and tried to escape. Police said it reached speeds of up to 70mph in a 40 zone, and narrowly avoided crashing into road users. Officers came up with a plan to bring the car to a stop when it drove down a pedestrian footpath in Broadwood Rise. Brown, 28, was arrested and charged with dangerous driving, driving with no insurance, whilst disqualified and possession of cocaine. PC Mark Robinson said: "In my 12 years in policing, I have never seen anyone drive in such an appalling manner. Brown was clearly intent on evading arrest, and on both occasions his driving fell far below the expected standard of a competent motorist. "Taking risks on the road significant increases your chances of being involved in a collision, and it’s fortunate Brown didn’t seriously injure himself or someone else." He had also been arrested at the end of December 2018 for reaching highs in a 30mph zone in Faygate as he attempted to escape police. The force said at that time he tested positive for cocaine and cannabis at the roadside - he was charged with: Driving with 125mcg of cocaine per litre of blood in his system – the legal limit being 10mcg; Driving with more than 800mcg of benzoylecgonine (the main metabolite of cocaine) per litre of blood in his system – the legal limit being 50mcg; Driving with 6.5mcg of cannabis per litre of blood in his system – the legal limit being 2mcg; Dangerous driving. Brown was sentenced to 32 months' imprisonment for all eight offences, banned from driving for 52 months from the date of his release. He was also ordered to pay £140. PC Robinson said: "His sentence sends a clear message to others that dangerous driving and drug-driving are extremely serious offences which will not be tolerated, and anyone caught committing these crimes will be dealt with robustly. "I’d also like to take this opportunity to urge anyone who believes someone is driving under the influence of drink or drugs to dial 999."
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