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Driver who filmed road rage motorist undertaking her is punished for lane-hogging

Watch: Road rage motorist filmed deliberately swerving towards lane-hogging driver

A woman whose video helped catch a road rage motorist undercutting her on a dual carriageway has herself been punished for lane-hogging.

Dash-cam footage taken on the A45 in Nene Valley Way, Northampton, on 24 January shows Philip Baxter, 33, undertaking the woman, who was in the fast lane of the dual carriageway.

The motorist, who was driving in lane three, flashed her headlights at Baxter, before moving into lane two near Brackmills Interchange.

At this point, Baxter careered across the carriageway, forcing the woman towards the central reservation barrier.

Philip Baxter was filmed undertaking a female motorist who was in the fast lane of the dual carriageway. (SWNS)
Philip Baxter was filmed undertaking a female motorist who was in the fast lane of the A45 dual carriageway. (SWNS)

The shaken motorist uploaded footage of the incident to Northamptonshire Police’s website and Baxter was traced by his number plate and arrested.

However, he denied driving dangerously and instead claimed a mechanical fault had caused his grey Toyota Land Cruiser to swerve across several lanes.

Read more: Driving instructor reveals compilation of impatient drivers and near misses

Baxter, of Kettering, Northampton, was found guilty of dangerous driving after a trial at Northampton Magistrates' Court but the motorist who filmed him has now been punished by police for driving without due care and attention.

Officers say the 59-year-old woman, from Deene in Corby, Northamptonshire, remained in the off-side lane prior to the incident, when the near-side lane was clear.

She received a notice of intended prosecution and took the option to complete an education course.

The woman was lane hogging when she was undertaken by Philip Baxter. (SWNS)
The woman was lane-hogging when she was undertaken by Baxter. (SWNS)
Philip Baxter was found guilty of dangerous driving. (SWNS)
Baxter was found guilty of dangerous driving. (SWNS)

Members of the public are encouraged to submit dash-cam footage via an online portal before it is reviewed by police as part of an ongoing clampdown called Operation Snap.

PC Mo Allsopp-Clarke, of Northamptonshire Police's Safer Roads Team, said officers "will not overlook" any offence in videos they receive.

Allsopp-Clarke said: "The success of Operation Snap is down to the continued support from the public, who enable us to act against driving offences we otherwise wouldn't see.

Read more: Unsafe drivers detected every six minutes

"Hopefully this case demonstrates that we take all instances of poor driving very seriously and we will prosecute offenders accordingly, which can only be a good thing to help keep our roads safer.

"However, it also serves as a reminder that we examine footage for evidence of offences by all parties.

"So, if you commit an offence as well as the person you’re reporting to us, you may face prosecution too. We will not overlook one offence to prosecute another."

Baxter was banned from from driving for 12 months, ordered to do 100 hours of unpaid work and told to pay £545 costs and £95 victim surcharge.