A 19-year-old narrowly missed pedestrians as he crashed into a building following a high-speed police chase.
Mohammed Halani was caught on video driving erratically in a bid to try and evade police moments before he slammed into a chicken shop and missed hitting pedestrians by inches.
The teenager was driving a teal blue Audi S3 through Peterborough city centre when he mounted the pavement and ploughed into the crowd of people, who fortunately leapt out of the way in time.
He then quickly got out of the vehicle and fled the scene on foot through Queensgate shopping centre.
Halani tried to hide in a restaurant in Cowgate, but was caught up by officers and arrested for dangerous driving and failing to stop.
Before the collision, footage shared by Cambridgeshire Police showed Halani driving erratically and quickly accelerating in a high-speed police chase after he failed to stop for officers in Lincoln Road.
He drove on the wrong side of the road, ignored bollards and no entry signs and narrowly missed colliding with another vehicle before he eventually crashed, minutes later, in the busy city centre.
Upon impact, rubble from the building in Westgate fell onto the bonnet of the car. Instead of stopping, he fled the scene.
Mohammed Halani narrowly avoided hitting pedestrians when he crashed in Peterborough city centre
The teenager fled the crash scene on foot through Queensgate shopping centre
Halani refused to stop for officers in Lincoln Road, starting a high-speed police chase
Officers arrested the 19-year-old after they found him hiding in a restaurant in Cowgate
Officers had reduced their speed to create a gap between them and the Audi due to the number of pedestrians.
They were forced to follow Halani first along the pavement and then on foot into Queensgate shopping centre, where they managed to catch up and arrest the teenager in a restaurant in Cowgate.
Police said that no one was injured in the collision, that happened at about 1pm on May 24 this year.
Halani, of Audley Gate, Netherton, in Peterborough, admitted failing to stop, dangerous driving and driving without insurance.
On Tuesday, he appeared at Peterborough Magistrates’ Court to be sentenced to a year in prison, suspended for two years.
He was also ordered to complete 200 hours of unpaid work, 15 days rehabilitation activity and was disqualified from driving for two years.
PC Martyn Chapman said: ‘This was a shocking incident that could easily have been far worse.
‘Halani narrowly missed multiple pedestrians when he collided with the building on what was a busy Sunday over a bank holiday weekend.
‘A matter of milliseconds was the difference between at least two people being seriously injured – or worse. It is remarkable nobody was hurt.’
