A drug-fuelled speed demon smashed through the night, hitting 117mph on the A23 after a late-night car meet near Hickstead Service Station, West Sussex.
Police Called to Chaotic Car Meet Turned High-Speed Chase
Officers responded in the early hours of 13 December after dozens of modified cars caused havoc. Around 100 vehicles gathered, sparking multiple complaints about dangerous driving. Sussex Police’s Roads Policing Unit showed up to calm the scene but faced hostility from the crowd. As cars peeled off, police tailed them southbound towards Pyecombe. Speeds shot up to 117mph, with 22-year-old Ryan Sheriff behind the wheel of a white Volkswagen Golf.
Close Shave and Drug Fail Lands Driver Behind Bars
Sheriff’s reckless joyride ended on Jane Murray Way, Burgess Hill, where he narrowly missed a milk float at a roundabout. Cops stopped him, and a roadside drug test confirmed he was over the limit for cannabis. Blood tests showed 2.3 micrograms of cannabis per litre – surpassing the legal 2 micrograms. He was hit with charges of dangerous driving, drug-driving and cannabis possession.
Sentenced for Speed and Drugs: Jail Time, Driving Ban, and More
At Crawley Magistrates’ Court on 13 March, the Sheriff pleaded guilty. The judge handed down a 24-week prison sentence, suspended for 12 months, plus a two-year driving ban. Sheriff must also complete 100 hours of unpaid work within the year, pay £85 court costs, a £154 victim surcharge, and pass an extended driving test before he can drive again.
Inspector Matt Wightwick, head of Sussex Police’s Roads Policing Unit, said: “Speeding, drink or drug-driving, distracted driving, failing to wear a seatbelt and careless or dangerous driving are among the leading causes of fatal and serious injury collisions in the UK. The fact that Sheriff has ticked three of these boxes demonstrates a blatant disregard for road safety.”
The message is clear – car enthusiasts are welcome to meet up, but dangerous driving will never be tolerated.
