Man admits causing wrong-way police chase crash

A man who drove the wrong way along the A46 during a police chase has admitted seriously injuring another driver.

Shortly after 04:00 BST on 29 June, Leicestershire Police attempted to stop Niks Rogacs, who was driving a white Mercedes van which had been reported stolen.

Officers pursued the offender after he fled, but he drove on to the wrong side of the A46 before hitting a blue BMW 1 Series near Glenfield.

Rogacs, 26, of Acacia Close, Leicester, pleaded guilty to one count of causing serious injury by dangerous driving and two counts of handling stolen goods at Leicester Crown Court on Thursday.

The driver of the BMW, a man in his 20s, was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

He has since been discharged but is continuing to receive physiotherapy and specialist care, officers said.

The van had been stolen from pop-bhangra act Masti Band and had been carrying "priceless" drums.

The van was taken from a car park in Leicester's Walnut Street about five days before the crash.

At the time of the theft, Aamir Rana, the band's vocalist and keyboard player, told the BBC specialised drums were among the van's contents, which also included mixing desks, amplifiers and speakers.

The 36-year-old said a dhol drum was owned by his uncle and the band's percussionist, Surinder Sandhu, 62, who had played it for more than 40 years and had his name written on the side.

Rana said Sandhu, from Leicester, made several modifications to a traditional dholki, which was a new prototype.

Rogacs is due to be sentenced at the same court on 25 November.

The two stolen goods charges were in relation to the van and a speaker which was found during a search of his home address, police added.

Det Con Charlotte Wright said: "I'm pleased that Rogacs has taken a degree of responsibility for his actions and seen sense by pleading guilty.

"At the time it happened, he clearly didn't care about the risk he was taking and the lives of others that he was putting in danger.

"His recklessness could have had far more serious consequences."

Leicestershire Police reported the incident to the Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC).

An spokesperson for the IOPC said: "Having carefully assessed all the available evidence we decided that an investigation was required and that it was appropriate for that to be carried out by Leicestershire Police's Professional Standards Department.

"We will maintain a level of oversight as the force will need to share with us their investigation report, for us to review, if no conduct issues are identified by them."

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