Van driver caught drinking champagne behind the wheel before crash is jailed

The video of Mason James Cowgill’s reckless driving was sent to North Yorkshire Police, after he drove into the back of another car which was stationary in traffic on the A65 near Ingleton, in June last year.

Police said the 27-year-old also “paid very little or no attention at all to the road” and he can be seen driving without his hands on the steering wheel and rolling a cigarette.

No one was injured in the collision and Cowgill exchanged details with the other driver, but he left before police arrived on the scene.

He made some more phone calls when he drove away and almost caused another collision.

Cowgill was sacked after the incident and his boss, who also owns the van, passed the in-cab footage to the police.

He was jailed for eight months and was disqualified from driving for 32 months after he pleaded guilty to dangerous driving in court.

Police constable Babs Parsons, said: “Cowgill is lucky he did not kill or seriously injure someone that day.

“The manner in which he drove demonstrated a clear danger to other road users and I’m amazed he did not cause any more collisions.

“This was not a momentary lapse in concentration, this is a sustained period in which Cowgill paid very little or no attention at all to the road and was clearly not in control of the van he was driving.

“I thank the owner of the van for bringing this footage to our attention as it has enabled us to take a very dangerous driver off the road”.