Motorcyclist leads police on 130 mph chase, records it on helmet camera

A motorcyclist led police on a 130 mph chase through wet roads, running red lights and riding on the wrong side of the road while recording the drama on a helmet-mounted camera. Dean Bruce, of no fixed address, was spotted Feb. 23 by a police officer in Bishop Auckland after being observed driving at high speeds in wet conditions and signalled to pull over.

The pursuit stretched roughly 33 miles from Bishop Auckland to Wallsend, drawing in police from across the region. The officer on the ground, PC Simpson, followed on a police motorcycle, flashing lights and sounding the siren, but Bruce did not stop and continued to accelerate away.

The helmet camera footage captured Bruce weaving through traffic, glancing behind him as he dodged vehicles. He drove through red lights and even ventured onto the wrong side of a road designated as one-way due to road works, forcing the pursuing officer to mount the curb at times to maintain the chase. As the pursuit progressed along the A1(M), Bruce reached speeds of about 130 mph, nearly twice the national limit, and at one point rode down the center of the Tyne Bridge amid oncoming traffic. The chase was monitored by North East Air Support (NPAS) helicopters, which tracked his movements and relayed information as it continued toward Wallsend.

The pursuit ended when authorities tracked Bruce to an address in Wallsend, where he dumped his helmet, motorbike jacket and the helmet camera. He was later arrested and found to be driving without a licence, without insurance, with cloned number plates, and in possession of cannabis. Bruce appeared at Durham Crown Court earlier this month, pleaded guilty to the offences, and was sentenced to 15 months in jail and a 31-month driving ban.

Durham Constabulary highlighted the incident on social media, noting the helmet-cam footage and underscoring the dangers of such driving. The force quoted its motorbike officer, PC Simpson, who described Bruce’s actions as selfish and dangerous: "Dean Bruce selfishly decided to gamble with the safety of everybody else on the road that day. Even when the pursuit was halted, his helmet cam shows that he continued to drive dangerously and without any regard for other motorists and pedestrians, which highlights the reason that we go to such lengths to get dangerous drivers stopped as quickly as possible." The post also quoted a warning to motorists: "Don't take your chances. Pull over and accept the consequences of your actions."