Yahoo News Car thief crashes Range Rover at 120mph with owner’s dog inside
Nicholas Oakland, 30, overturned the car after stealing it in North Yorkshire.
A shocking image shows an overturned Range Rover after a thief crashed it while the owner’s dog was inside.
Nicholas Oakland, 30, stole the vehicle in Acomb, North Yorkshire, while owner Matthew Wilson was in a corner shop last February.
He took Mr Wilson’s Doberman assistance dog Jake on a terrifying 120mph joyride around the streets of North Duffield before police deployed a stinger device and caused the vehicle to flip over.
Jake had to be put to sleep after the accident as he developed spinal injuries.
Footage of the incident will be shown on an upcoming episode of Channel 5's Traffic Cops, which follows North Yorkshire Police officers, and has also been released by the force on its YouTube channel.
The stinger device burst the Range Rover's tyres and forced Oakland to lose control of the car.
He then crashed into a field and rolled several times while Jake was inside.
After getting out of the vehicle, Oakland was arrested but the dog ran off before it was later euthanised due to his injuries.
Traffic sergeant Julian Pearson said: "Oakland’s driving posed a serious risk to other road users as he drove the stolen vehicle in an appalling way.
"Thankfully with the use of specialist police resources we were able to quickly bring the vehicle to a stop less than 30 minutes after it was reported stolen.
"He showed no regard for the safety of the family dog that was in the rear of the vehicle.
"It was imperative that we quickly located Jake after the collision and ensured he received immediate veterinary care and returned to his owners.
"This case has touched everyone involved in the investigation and we all wished that Jake made a full recovery from his injuries.
"Sadly this wasn’t to be and Jake passed away a few weeks later.
"Jake was a family member, a loved one and will be dearly missed."
Oakland was jailed for 19 months at York Crown Court in October after being found guilty of dangerous driving and aggravated vehicle taking.
He was also disqualified for driving for three years and nine months.
