AN uninsured motorist responsible for a multiple vehicle accident on a dual carriageway was jailed for a year and banned from the roads for 42 months.

Michael Knapp, said to have a “significant” record for motoring offences, was described as travelling at speed by other northbound drivers on the A19, in County Durham, at 5pm on May 7, last year.

Durham Crown Court heard that as other vehicles slowed where re-surfacing work had taken place, north of Peterlee, Knapp appeared to maintain his previous speed in his recently-bought Peugeot 205, which had no MoT certificate.

Liam O’Brien, prosecuting, said while overtaking other cars, his Peugeot suddenly veered to the left, colliding with a Volvo, forcing it off the road, up an embankment.

It came to rest among shrubbery, leaving the retired occupants suffering whiplash.

The Peugeot was sent spinning, overturning several times before hitting a road sign.

Other drivers, caught up in the collision, went to the aid of the stricken casualties.

A woman, who first reached the Peugeot, found Knapp slumped across a blood-soaked female front seat passenger.

He appeared to have swallowed his tongue and, so, she pulled it from his throat, lying him on his side to resume breathing.

As she did so, she said she became aware of a strong smell of alcohol.

Mr O’Brien said both Knapp and his passenger were air-lifted to hospital, where, when he eventually regained consciousness, the defendant refused to allow a blood sample to be tested by police.

The 41-year-old defendant, of Ribble Road, Sunderland, admitted dangerous driving, failing to give permission for a blood sample to be tested, no insurance and no MoT certificate.

Joe Hedworth, mitigating, told the court Knapp, who has no recollection of the incident, said he had drunk four cans of lager the previous night, plus prescribed drugs.

Mr Hedworth said Knapp suffered serious spinal and head injuries, and now walks with the aid of crutches.

He said the defendant was “genuinely remorseful” for the injuries caused, not only to himself and other road-users, but also his former partner, who lost a spleen in the accident.

Jailing him, Judge Simon Hickey told Knapp that his refusal to allow police to test the sample was, “an aggravating feature” of the incident.

He added that despite his obvious speed, there still appears to be no explanation why Knapp suddenly veered into the Volvo.