Driver arrested after car spotted travelling through Chelmsford with NO TYRE
A driver has been arrested on suspicion of drink-driving after police stopped a car being driven through Chelmsford with an entire tyre missing.
Essex Police officers were patrolling near the Generals Lane roundabout on Friday, October 2 when they heard a loud metal grinding noise.
Officers followed the sound and stopped the vehicle on Beaulieu Parkway.
When they inspected the car, they discovered that one of its wheels had no tyre fitted, leaving the vehicle travelling directly on the wheel rim.
Police believe the vehicle had been driven for some distance in that condition.
Driver arrested
The driver was arrested on suspicion of drink-driving following the stop.
Essex Police also issued a prohibition notice on the vehicle, meaning it cannot be driven again until the dangerous defect has been repaired.
Chief Inspector Sam Girdlestone said driving a vehicle in such a condition was extraordinarily dangerous and put both the driver and other road users at risk.
The incident comes as Essex Police continues operations across Chelmsford targeting drink and drug driving and other offences which can contribute to serious collisions.
Major roads policing operation in Chelmsford
The unusual stop follows a separate roads policing operation in Chelmsford on September 26 which resulted in 17 arrests and seven vehicles being seized.
During that operation, 15 people were arrested on suspicion of drink or drug-driving offences.
Officers also issued 68 Traffic Offence Reports, while cameras detected 164 speeding offences.
Essex Police says removing impaired drivers and dangerously defective vehicles from the road forms an important part of its work to reduce deaths and serious injuries on Essex roads.
The driver arrested following the Beaulieu Parkway stop has not been named.
An arrest does not constitute a finding of guilt and any further proceedings will be determined through the appropriate legal process.