'Dangerous' teen driver in YouTube arrest

Updated 12.43 Thu Jan 31 2008

A teenage driver who was arrested after he posted a video on YouTube that shows him hitting 130mph has admitted dangerous driving.

Danny Hyde, 18, of Stowmarket, Suffolk, had one hand on the steering wheel as he used his mobile phone to record a journey along the A14 near Ipswich.

Officers identified Hyde from the two minute film, which switched between showing the road ahead and the speedometer of Hyde's R-registered Astra

Magistrates in Ipswich heard Hyde was arrested after police received an anonymous email informing them of the clip on YouTube.

Officers identified Hyde from the two minute film, which switched between showing the road ahead and the speedometer of Hyde's R-registered Astra.

Hyde has pleaded guilty to dangerous driving between July 1 and August 30 last year.

Magistrates were shown the YouTube clip and saw Hyde's car race past other vehicles on the road at the time.

Prosecutor Andrea Reynolds said Hyde's car had travelled at speeds of "up to" 130mph.

Ian Duckworth, mitigating, said Hyde had immediately accepted his guilt and had shown "gross stupidity".

"That was compounded by the fact that he put it (the film) on YouTube," he added.

He said Hyde and his family had been "devastated" by the incident.

Bench Chairman Anne Parry warned Hyde he could be jailed when he is sentenced on February 21.

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