Kettering 'road rage' driver banned after dash-cam footage caught A45 dangerous driving incident

A 33-year-old man has been found guilty at Northampton Magistrates’ Court after footage that captured his dangerous driving was submitted to police.

Philip Baxter, of Morley Street in Kettering, was recorded by another driver’s dash-cam on the A45 Nene Valley Way in Northampton, on January 24 this year, following an alleged ‘road rage’ incident.

Footage submitted as evidence showed Baxter swerving across the carriageway forcing another vehicle towards the central reservation.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke of Northamptonshire Police’s Safer Roads Team said: “Baxter pleaded not guilty to the offence, claiming his vehicle had a mechanical defect, which the magistrates’ did not accept.

“The video evidence clearly showed that he deliberately swerved into lane two, causing the other driver to take evasive action to avoid a collision. Baxter’s recklessness could have easily ended in tragic consequences, and I’m pleased the courts have dealt with him positively.”

Dash-cam video showed Baxter’s grey Toyota Land Cruiser undertaking the other vehicle as they travelled on the westbound carriageway of the A45, near the Brackmills Interchange, towards the Queen Eleanor junction.

The other motorist, who was driving in lane three, flashed their headlights at Baxter, before moving into lane two. At this point, Baxter drove his vehicle across the carriageway, forcing the other vehicle towards the central reservation barrier.

Footage of the incident was uploaded to the force’s Operation Snap online portal and when reviewed, police officers believed that the video proved Baxter had deliberately caused the other driver to take evasive action.

When interviewed by the officers, Baxter claimed the vehicle had a mechanical defect which caused him to swerve as he did, however at his trial held at the Magistrates’ Court on Tuesday, November 8, this was not accepted.

Baxter was found guilty of dangerous driving and disqualified from driving for 12 months and will have to take an extended driving test. He was also ordered to complete 100 hours unpaid community work and pay £545 costs and £95 victim surcharge.

The driver who submitted the dash-cam footage was also prosecuted for driving without due care and attention after the video footage showed they remained in the off-side lane prior to the incident, when the nearside lane was clear.

The 59-year-old woman from Deene, near Corby, received a notice of intended prosecution and took the option to complete an education course.

PC Allsopp-Clarke added: “The success of Operation Snap is down to the continued support from the public, who enable us to act against driving offences we otherwise wouldn’t see.

“Hopefully this case demonstrates that we take all instances of poor driving very seriously and we will prosecute offenders accordingly, which can only be a good thing to help keep our roads safer.

“However, it also serves as a reminder that we examine footage for evidence of offences by all parties. So, if you commit an offence as well as the person you’re reporting to us, you may face prosecution too. We will not overlook one offence to prosecute another.”

People can report driving offences by uploading video evidence via a simple online portal on Northamptonshire Police’s website and completing a form, that automatically creates a witness statement to provide a full account of the incident.For information about Operation Snap and how to submit video footage go to www.northants.police.uk/OpSnap.