THIS is the horrifying moment a driver high on laughing gas smashes into a lorry as the passenger pleads with him to “use the brake”.
Cheten Bhardwaj, 35, crashed into multiple vehicles in Bradford, West Yorkshire, on May 9 last year leaving one woman with serious injuries.
Bhardwaj was dangerously driving his Volvo V40 on Halifax Road whilst under the influence of nitrous oxide, otherwise known as “laughing gas”.
The shocking dashcam footage shows him swerving past a bollard before he hits the accelerator as the passenger screams “slow down”.
Bhardwaj then mounts the pavement next to a Lidl supermarket before careering into a lorry and knocking it completely off the road.
Terrified pedestrians can be seen leaping out of the way as he ploughs through the vehicle, refusing to stop as he carries on down the street.
As Bhardwaj continues to race down the road, other motors can be seen pulling to the side to avoid being hit.
The passenger can again be heard screaming to “press the brake, press the brake!”
Further down the road, the Volvo mounts the pavement again as he speeds past a Tesla and weaves in and out of traffic.
Bhardwaj, of New Cross Street, admitted to causing serious injury by dangerous driving, possession of nitrous oxide for wrongful inhalation.
He also admitted driving a motor vehicle with a proportion of a specified controlled drug above the specified limit.
On Friday, he was sentenced to three years and eight months behind bars at Bradford Crown Court.
He was also disqualified from driving for three years and ten months.
Chief Inspector James Farrar of the Roads Policing Unit said: “The actions of Bhardwaj were simply reckless and selfish; this case highlights the very real and often catastrophic consequences of dangerous driving and driving whilst taking nitrous oxide.
“Bhardwaj made a choice to get behind the wheel, whilst under the influence and put other road users at risk.
“I am thankful nobody was killed.
“Nitrous oxide has been a banned drug since November 2023 and the footage in this case highlights the dangers of using it at the wheel.
“It has similar effects to other drugs and can severely impair your ability to drive.”