Judge says four years jail for M8 crash 'may seem inadequate'

Dylan Hood's driving caused a three car collision on the M8

A speeding driver who left two police officers badly hurt in a motorway crash on Glasgow's M8 has been jailed for four years.

Dylan Hood was high on cocaine and had been driving at 134mph just before the three-car collision on 24 July 2024. Six people were injured in the collision.

At the High Court in Glasgow Judge Lord Renucci said it was a miracle no-one had died but that he was restricted in his sentencing powers for such a charge. The maximum sentence permitted by law is five years.

The judge added that the sentence "may well seem inadequate for those harmed" by Hood's actions.

Lord Renucci said: To say that it was a miracle no one was killed is not an overstatement.

"In fairness to the parliamentarians, it may be they simply did not envisage or imagine a situation where a collision of such magnitude that anyone could have survived.

"In the particular circumstances of this case, it may well seem inadequate for those harmed by your actions."

Hood had left the scene of the crash before later being arrested outside a pub. He told police: "These things happen, mate."

He had earlier admitted a charge of causing serious injury by dangerous driving.

The five-year sentence was cut by 12 months due to the guilty plea while Hood was also banned from the road for the next 14 years.

Hood had initially been a passenger in a Mercedes that day before getting into the driver's seat, despite having earlier taken cocaine.

Prosecutor Mark Mohammed KC said: "He did not have a driving licence and was not insured."

Hood fled scene of crash

Hood had been driving too fast in the city's Springburn and had passed a car on the wrong side of the road before going on to the M8 at junction 15.

PCs Gordon Bremner and Andrew Blair were in an unmarked Volvo s90 on the motorway when they pulled in another Mercedes onto the hard shoulder.

The Mercedes driver had got into the back of the police car before Hood collided with the stationary unmarked police car.

He was going at 86mph when the collision occurred, but had reached 134mph five seconds before the crash.

The force of the collision caused the police Volvo to be propelled into the back of the Mercedes the officer had stopped.

Mr Mohammed said both cars along with the one Hood had been driving suffered "catastrophic damage".

Hood and one of his passengers clambered out of the Mercedes without getting help for the causalities, some of whom had life-threatening injuries.

The passenger eventually collapsed in the street from his own injuries while Hood went to a local bookmakers and then to a woman's house in Haghill where he changed his clothes.

After going to a pub he spoke to his sister, who told police where he was.

Hood went on to make a number of comments to police saying it was not his fault and that he had not seen anything.

PC Bremner's string of injuries included a bleed on the brain and spinal fractures. He was sedated and unconscious in hospital for three weeks, and continues to need specialist treatment.

The court heard there was no likelihood of him returning to work in the near future.

PC Blair suffered a shattered cheekbone, a wound to his chin and a torn left calf.

He was able to return to frontline duty after extensive physiotherapy.

Among the others hurt, the man the police stopped also had a host of injuries including a broken spine, ribs and collarbone.

Paul Nelson KC, defending Hood, said his driving had been, "to put it mildly, shocking".