A man who hit speeds of up to 90mph in a 30mph zone said he ‘felt like he was going to die from all the drugs’.
Jordan Rooney, 30, was seen driving in his Mitsubishi by a police officer at about 2.40am on August 14 in Wyre Crescent, Darwen, and looked as if he was going to pull over.
Lisa Worsley, prosecting, told Preston Crown Court that Rooney, of Cambridge Close, Blackburn, did not pull over but instead sped off down Lynwood Avenue.
He then made his way onto the A666 Blackburn Road, with the police officer, with his car's blue lights on, not being able to keep up, despite hitting speeds of 84mph in a 30mph zone.
Rooney then skipped two red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road around a bollard, but police caught back up with him in Livesey Branch Road, Blackburn, when he jumped from his car and ran.
He was soon caught by a police dog and in a roadside breath test, he blew a reading of 63 micrograms of alcohol per 100ml of breath, almost double the legal limit of 35mcg.
He was taken to the police station where he refused to give another reading, saying: “I can’t, I feel like I am going to die from all the drugs”.
The court was told Rooney said he took the drugs after getting out the car, but admitted having six or seven cans of beer before getting behind the steering wheel.
Rooney, who was unrepresented, was said to have a good job and had not offended since.
In sentencing, Judge Simon Medland said although it was an offence that passes the custody threshold, some character reference letters and a pre-sentence report he had read meant he was able to suspend the sentence.
Judge Medland said: “There is some very bad driving there.
"It is through at least two red lights and reaching speeds of what must have been at least 90mph.
“You could have been killed, permanently disabled or even worse, someone who was just walking home from the pub could have been killed.
“The risk of serious injury or death when you drive like that on roads like that is enormous.”
Rooney, who previously pleaded guilty to dangerous driving, was handed a six-month sentence, suspended for 18 months.
He must also complete 15 rehabilitation activity requirement days, and was made subject to an alcohol abstinence tag for 120 days and a 14-month driving disqualification.
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