HGV driver jailed for M1 ramming

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Motorway cameras capture Labouenek tail-gating a motorist

A Czech lorry driver who rammed several drivers in the outside lane of the M1 motorway has been jailed for 15 months.

Police said they were amazed no-one was badly hurt in the rush hour incident, between junctions 26 and 33, in August.

Vitezslav Labouenek, 44, gave no explanation for his actions, which were described as "terrifying" by one woman he smashed into in his 44-tonne lorry.

He pleaded guilty to three counts of criminal damage with intent to endanger life and one of dangerous driving.

Hitch-hiker claim

One of the cars Labouenek rammed was driven by Sharon Palos, from Derbyshire.

Labouenek initially told police he had not been behind the wheel

Derby Crown Court heard her car was pushed along the outside lane for several minutes before she managed to get out of the way.

"The part that really scared me was when he actually contacted the back of my car - there was no way of getting out of the accident. It could have killed a lot of people that day," she said.

"It was horrendous. I thought I was a dead lady."

He tailgated and rammed at least two other motorists during the half-hour episode on 18 August.

Police finally caught up with the lorry in standing traffic near Sheffield.

Motorway cameras captured the episode, including Highways Agency patrolmen attempting to stop Labouenek.

He initially told police that he was a hitch-hiker and had not been behind the wheel at all.