A 19-year-old from Middlesbrough has been banned from driving after leading police on a high-speed chase that reached 100mph in a 30mph zone and ended in a collision with a parked HGV.
Lewis Naisbitt, of Sunningdale Road, Saltersgill, appeared at Carlisle Magistrates' Court on October 6, 2026, where he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving; driving while disqualified; driving without insurance; fraudulent use of a registration mark or document and failing to comply with a roadside drugs wipe. He returned to Carlisle Crown Court for sentencing on November 6.
Chase Through Carlisle
Naisbitt was driving a Nissan X-Trail suspected of having cloned number plates when he entered Cumbria via Scotland on the morning of 9 September 2026. Officers attempted to pull him over, but he did not stop, leaving the motorway and heading into Carlisle at junction 43.
The vehicle was chased along Warwick Road, where speeds exceeded 60mph in a 30mph zone. He then turned onto Eastern Way, accelerating to over 80mph while weaving through traffic and jumping red lights, before continuing onto London Road where he reached 100mph in a 30mph zone, narrowly avoiding a head-on collision with oncoming traffic.
Crash and Arrest
Naisbitt then steered the car back onto the M6, travelling at speeds between 100mph and 115mph, at one point undertaking via the hard shoulder. Officers deployed a stinger when he exited at junction 41, and he subsequently crashed into a stationary HGV as he headed towards Stoneybeck.
He then attempted to flee on foot, but managed only a few metres before being tackled and detained. He refused to cooperate during his police interview but later admitted the offences in court.
Sentence and Police Response
Naisbitt received a 14-month sentence in a young offenders' institution and was handed a two-year driving ban upon his release.
Cumbria Police Chief Inspector Sam Turner said: "The driver's behaviour was incredibly reckless and could easily have resulted in him causing serious injury to himself and others. However, thanks to the professionalism and teamwork of officers – led by the force's Operations Team – the pursuit was brought to a safe conclusion and the driver arrested."
Turner added: "Cumbria Police is committed to educating young drivers about the dangers of poor decision-making behind the wheel. The guilty pleas and came at the conclusion of our Op Spotlight road safety operation targeting young drivers demonstrating dangerous driving behaviour."
