Champagne Drinking Van Driver Jailed for Dangerous Driving
A 27-year-old man who guzzled Bollinger Champagne while behind the wheel of his work van has been slammed with an eight-month jail sentence.
Mason Cowgill’s Shocking Ride Along A65
Mason James Cowgill, from Gargrave, pleaded guilty to dangerous driving and was banned from the roads for 32 months, including an extended retest. On June 7 last year, Cowgill cruised for miles along the A65 near Ingleton. But instead of watching the road, he popped open champagne and chatted on his mobile phone — often with no hands on the wheel.
Crash, Cover-Up and Near Misses
At one point, Cowgill’s van smashed into a stationary car in traffic near the junction of the A65 and B6255. The other vehicle was damaged, but thankfully no one was hurt. Despite exchanging details with the car driver, Cowgill fled the scene before police arrived. He then carried on driving, making more calls and nearly causing another crash.
Police Praise Van Boss for Exposing the Scandal
After Cowgill reported the collision to his employer, in-cab footage was reviewed. The van owner immediately sacked Cowgill and handed over the footage to police.
“Cowgill is lucky he did not kill or seriously injure someone that day,” said PC Babs Parsons.
“He was a clear danger on the road and I’m amazed there weren’t more collisions. This wasn’t just a momentary lapse — it was a sustained period of recklessness with no control of the van. I thank the van owner for bringing the footage to our attention and helping us take a dangerous driver off the roads.”
