Dorset Police catches the newly approved driver at 153 mph

A freshly past driver trapped at more than 150 MPH has received a suspended prison sentence.

Daniel Groome spent his driving test three weeks before the Dorset Police found it accelerating along the Dual A338 road near Ringwood in June 2024.

A Dorset police officer reached 153 MPH speeds to catch the 23 -year -old from Winston Road, Bournemouth, who had a front seat passenger on his BMW 325i Coupe.

He was accused of driving dangerous and sentenced in Bournemouth Crown Court.

A police statement explained that an officer had been monitoring traffic in the roundabout of Ashley Heath when he saw the BMW leading to an “inappropriate speed while sailing through a left curve” around 23:40 GMT.

The road surveillance officer “responded proactively in two seconds.”

They maintained a safe distance, but coincided with the speed of the Groome in the BMW, registering a reading of 153 mph in the calibrated speedometer of the police vehicle.

When Groome approached a 50 mph speed limit in Blackwater, the force said he was traveling almost twice the speed limit.

“The distance between Ashley Heath and Blackwater is 5.2 m (8.3 km), which takes about five minutes to travel at a safe speed,” the force explained.

Groome traveled between the two locations in the middle of that time and was subsequently accused.

During a judicial hearing on February 21, he received a 12 -month prison sentence, suspended for two years.

He was also disqualified from driving for two years and six months, given a touch of four months and instructed to take an extended reorganization.

PC Kier Dagnall said: “We could very quickly respond and prevent this vehicle from participating in a collision and the driver potentially hurt themselves, his passenger from the front seat or other user of the road.

“This driver had only passed his driving test three weeks before and traveled at incredibly dangerous speeds with someone else in his vehicle.

“We know that some young and newly qualified drivers can be attracted to travel at dangerous speeds and try their abilities, but this is not acceptable.”