Real-life GTA chase in Essex as police catch Audi driver escaping at 115mph

| Senior Live News reporter Published October 14, 2026 8:46am Updated October 14, 2026 8:46am To view this video please enable JavaScript, and consider upgrading to a web browser that supports HTML5 video This is the moment a dangerous driver sped the wrong way down an A-road in a bid to escape from the police. Alan McDonnell, 29, put lives at risk at the Essex-London border as he tried to flee from officers following a traffic stop. He attempted to drop the pursuing officers between Basildon and Dagenham while being tailed from a helicopter, with thermal imaging cameras showing every detail of the risky GTA-style escape. The pursuit started in Basildon in the afternoon of December 19, 2025, when officers told the grey Audi A4 to stop for being uninsured. Alan McDonnell was jailed after admitting dangerous driving, driving without insurance and driving while disqualified (Picture: Essex Police) His Audi passed close to oncoming traffic while going the wrong way on the Southend-bound slip road (Picture: Essex Police) However, after initially pulling over, McDonnell fled onto the A13, reaching speeds of up to 115mph in the rush hour traffic. Police helicopter cameras captured as he undertook several vehicles, zooming the wrong way on the busy Southend-bound slip road with oncoming traffic before cutting into a grassy verge. Eventually he abandoned the car near Cook Road, Dagenham, and ran, while the National Police Air Service (NPAS) chopper tracked him. He then veered onto the grassy verge moments before abandoning the car in Dagenham, east London (Picture: Essex Police) McDonnell lay on the ground as he was arrested (Picture: Essex Police) Police officers caught him as he lay on the ground, and he was arrested. McDonnell has been jailed for a year after hearing at Chelmsford Magistrates’ Court on October 5. Latest London news He admitted dangerous driving, failing to stop when directed by police, driving while disqualified and driving without insurance. He was also banned from driving for a further three years and four months, and is required to pass an extended retest before being allowed to have a driving licence again. Adam Pipe, from Essex Police roads policing unit, said: ‘This case shows the lengths some drivers will go to in an attempt to avoid us, but it also demonstrates the resources and tactics we have available to keep our roads safe. ‘Working alongside our colleagues at NPAS meant we were able to continue tracking McDonnell even after he abandoned the car and tried to run away.’ Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk. For more stories like this, check our news page. Arrow MORE: Community ‘devastated’ after man killed in row on leafy north London street Arrow MORE: Family of student killed in charity boxing match suing organisers for £200,000 Arrow MORE: Thousands evacuated near Liverpool Street and told ‘do not smoke’ after ‘gas leak’ News Updates Stay on top of the headlines with daily email updates.