A drunk learner driver was caught racing across a field towards chasing police after leaving the road following a high-speed chase. Katie Reid, who narrowly avoided hitting the police car by veering at the last moment, was sentenced to six months in prison and banned from driving for three years at Perth Sheriff Court. The court heard that Reid, accompanied by two male passengers, sped through roadworks at more than double the speed limit and reached speeds over 90 miles per hour while being pursued by the police. Reid claimed she was rushing to a hospital to seek treatment for a septic finger.
Sheriff William Wood condemned Reid’s conduct, stating it was below what is expected of a careful driver and was merely an attempt to evade police detection. Her own solicitor acknowledged the appalling nature of her actions, describing it as a terrible example of dangerous driving. Reid, from Perth, pleaded guilty to driving dangerously and without insurance on July 29, also admitting to failing to provide a breath specimen when eventually stopped. The court was told that she was seen driving a VW Golf along the A90 at almost three times the speed limit at 9 pm.
Reid undertook an unmarked police car at high speed despite roadworks restricting the speed limit to 30 mph in some places. Despite police sirens and lights, she continued to evade them, drove through a red light, and nearly collided with other vehicles. At one point, Reid’s car got stuck behind a heavy goods vehicle, prompting her to take a shortcut before accelerating to 90mph back on the A90. The pursuit eventually led to a dead end in a field, where she veered sharply towards the police car before coming to a stop on the west side of the field.
Reid claimed she had been assaulted two days prior, resulting in an injured finger that was becoming infected and painful, hence her urgency to reach the hospital. In August, Reid had previously been fined £450 and banned from driving for a year for driving with cocaine in her system in Perth in February 2023. The court proceedings highlighted the dangerous and unacceptable nature of Reid’s actions on the road, leading to her sentencing and driving ban.