Driver of white van carrying cocaine and booze whose terrified passenger ‘thought she was going to die’ when he drove into five cars to leave a trail of destruction is sentenced to 14 months in prison
- Michael Page, 37, from Southsea caused five major car accidents and injured three
- He left his victims fearing for their lives and with longer term problems
- The plasterer was filled with booze and drugs as his van drove into other cars
A driver of a white van who was drunk and high on cocaine when he drove into five other cars, causing horrific damage, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison.
Michael Page, 37, cursed at motorists, risked his passenger’s life and then left a trail of destruction after drunkenly losing his temper and venturing into heavy traffic on July 3, 2022.
A court heard that several of his victims feared for their lives as the van raced toward them, while Page’s own passenger believed she would die in the carnage.
Three people were injured as a result of the five separate clashes in Portsmouth, Hants, which ended when Page flipped his own white Citreon Berlingo.
Michael Page, 37, has been sentenced to 14 months in prison after a drunken and insane dangerous drive that destroyed five cars and left his victims with long-term problems
The carnage at the crash site after Page’s car plowed into heavy traffic and flipped on its side as his passenger feared for her life
After being arrested, Page was tested and found to be three times the drunk driving limit.
The frenzied episode began when the Portsmouth plasterer collided with stationary traffic before promptly pulling away and then crashing into another BMW and Kia Rio.
The rampage continued as he drove on the wrong side of the road and crashed into the front of a Skoda Superb, flipped his van and finally crashed into a Vauxhall Astra.
Southampton Crown Court heard a ‘red fog’ descend over Page and with this coke fueled rage he carelessly lost control of the wheel and crashed into several cars.
Prosecutor Ruba Huleihel said: “[The passenger] remembers telling him to slow down and stuff [people in cars] were beeping at him which he was aware of as he raised his finger to the drivers.’
Page’s own lawyer admitted that “it was lucky things weren’t more serious” after the extent of the damage that was all over the streets of Portsmouth.
Page’s passenger, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was left “terrified” and suffers from a fear of traveling in cars as a result.
The male driver of the Kia plowed by Page told the court: “I felt shock and horror as the van came toward me. If I hadn’t taken evasive maneuvers I could have been seriously injured or killed.’
He said six months after PTSD, he still suffers from symptoms, as well as dizziness and shoulder and neck problems.
The couple in the Skoda who became Page’s next victim said they had been left behind ‘extremely shocked’ and £3000 out of pocket. One of the passengers said she “woke up crying” and still suffers from back and chest pain and sleepless nights as a result of the crash.
Page’s attorney, Daniel Reilly, told the court that the van driver had consumed alcohol when he broke up with his partner, but admitted that “it was lucky things weren’t more serious.”
The dangerous driver is pleading guilty to five charges, including dangerous driving, failure to provide a breath sample, failure to stop and driving without due care and attention.
Page was sentenced to 14 months and a three-year driving ban.