Driver arrested after A19 Thirsk high-speed police chase

North Yorkshire Police have arrested a man in his 20s after a pursuit on the A19 between Thirsk and Northallerton yesterday afternoon (May 17)

The incident unfolded after North Yorkshire Police received a report of a suspected cloned vehicle around 5.20pm.

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When officers attempted to stop the car – a black Vauxhall Insignia – the driver ignored police instructions and a chase began.

“During the pursuit, the vehicle was driven in an extremely dangerous manner, including travelling contraflow and on the wrong side of the A19 towards oncoming traffic.

“The driver briefly returned to the correct side of the carriageway before attempting to drive contraflow again,” said a spokesperson for the force.

Due to the risk to the public, a trained Tactical Pursuit and Containment (TPAC) officer used tactical contact – crashed into the car – to end the chase.

They added: “Our officers are highly trained to dynamically assess risk in fast-moving situations, and every decision is made with public safety as the overriding priority.”

The driver then fled from the car with armed police in quick pursuit – jumping over a fence and running across a cornfield, before arresting a man in his 20s.

It was confirmed the car was stolen from West Yorkshire.

The driver was arrested on suspicion of a number of offences and taken to hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged and remains in police custody.

A female passenger was also assessed at the scene as a precaution; one police vehicle was damaged during the incident, and the officer involved in the tactical contact sustained minor injuries.

The A19 was closed for several hours to allow for recovery work, as reported by The Press at the time.

The force spokesman added: “We will continue to be relentless in targeting criminals who use the road network and attempt to evade us.”

Enquiries are ongoing.