A DANGEROUS driver, banned for previous motoring offences until 2098, is facing jail after crashing into a police dog van, leaving an officer with glass shards in his eye.

John McCabe, 30, of Fordenbridge Road, Sunderland, dragged a police officer down the road and nearly ran over another while attempting to evade capture last month.

Despite being banned for almost 80 years, he ploughed into the side of a police dog van as he made a bid for freedom.

He has appeared at Newcastle Crown Court and pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving without insurance, and failing to stop after an accident. He will be sentenced later this year.

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Sergeant Alan Keenleyside said: “McCabe put his life and the lives of others in danger by flouting the law and showing a complete disregard to other motorists.

“He threatened the livelihoods of other road users and caused a great deal of fear as a result of his irresponsible and erratic driving.

“When confronted by police, he attempted to drive off - dragging an officer down the road and almost running over another in a bid to evade capture.

“He then caused serious injury by crashing into a police dog van, which resulted in the handler being ejected out of the window upon impact, suffering broken ribs and significant injuries to his eye.

“It was sheer luck that nobody was killed as a result of McCabe’s action on that morning and he must now deal with the consequences.”

Man appears in court after crash with police van

Shortly before 11am on December 30, police received a report of dangerous driving on Hylton Road.

Officers were deployed after a silver Vauxhall Corsa, driven by McCabe, had collided with another vehicle.

Nobody was injured, but McCabe made off and went on to crash the vehicle into a garage in the Gorse Road area of the city.

There he was met by two police officers, one of which attempted to arrest him. McCabe managed to force his way back into the Corsa and reversed, subsequently dragging the officer along the road and almost ploughing into another PC.

Shortly after, as he continued his destructive journey, McCabe shot out of a back lane and smashed into a police dog van.

The ferocious impact of the collision saw the officer, a dog handler, ejected through the window of the vehicle, suffering three broken ribs and shards of glass in his eye as a result.

A police dog and two puppies were also in the van at the time of the collision, but were uninjured.

McCabe and a female passenger were both taken to hospital with serious but non-life threatening injuries after officers managed to free the pair from the wreckage.

He was later arrested and subsequently charged.

on Tuesday, appearing in the dock at Newcastle Crown Court, McCabe pleaded guilty to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, driving while disqualified, driving without insurance, failing to provide a specimen, two counts of failing to stop after an accident and two counts of failing to report an accident.

He was remanded in custody and is due to be sentenced on March 19.