Man charged over A1 crash that left five police cars smashed up

A man has been charged with dangerous driving after a crash during a police pursuit on the A1 which left seven officers injured.

Mazyar Azarbonyad, 20, of Sylvia Terrace, Durham, will appear at Newcastle Magistrates’ Court on Saturday over the collision on the northbound A1 on April 9.

He has been charged with dangerous driving, two counts of failing to stop a motor vehicle when required by a constable, two counts of no insurance use, and two counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with licence.

He is also accused of a further four counts of driving otherwise than in accordance with licence and four counts of no insurance use.

Seven officers were taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries after the crash last week

They have all been discharged.

The collision happened in the early hours of the morning between junctions J73 (Swalwell) and J75 (Denton), and the A1 was shut for hours, causing severe congestion.

A spokesman said the two occupants of a BMW, which was being pursued at the time, were uninjured.

The collision happened on the A1 carriageway below the roundabout where gunman Raoul Moat shot Pc David Rathband, leaving him blind, in 2010.

A woman in her 20s was also arrested on suspicion of aiding and abetting dangerous driving, but she was released with no further action.

However she was released on bail for drug possession offences, pending further police inquiries.

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