A "LUNATIC" motorist is being hunted by police after dramatic footage emerged of dangerous driving which caused an accident at one of the district's notorious road crash blackspots.
The video clip captures the driver of a black Audi overtaking numerous cars on the narrow, up-and-down and winding Otley Road in East Morton, and causing a collision between two vehicles coming the other way as the driver of one was forced to take evasive action.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A black Audi performed a series of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres on Otley Road in East Morton, and nearly collided with oncoming traffic
The driver of a black Audi performs a series of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres in Otley Road, East Morton
The incident took place less than a mile from the scene of two fatal crashes that happened on the same road, next to Graincliffe Reservoir, in 2014.
Samuel Edson, 38, of Ilkley, and Christopher Crowther, 33, of Queensbury, were killed in crashes in April and October of that year, respectively.
Last year, the stretch of Otley Road on which the latest footage was captured was classed by Bradford Council as the 31st most dangerous in the district.
One of the drivers who crashed as a result of the Audi shown in the latest footage spoke to the Telegraph & Argus about the incident, which happened where a 20mph zone becomes a 50mph zone.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A black Audi performed a series of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres on Otley Road in East Morton, and nearly collided with oncoming traffic
The Audi driver narrowly avoids a head-on crash
“This lunatic is a ticking time bomb and could easily cause death to someone,” said the 39-year-old man, who did not want to be named.
“I had a split-second choice - hit the van or be hit by the Audi that looked to be travelling 70mph-plus.”
The motorist added: “I just think he was incredibly dangerous, to be honest. He has overtaken about eight or nine cars.
“He didn’t care for his own life, never mind anyone else’s.
“Police said they had reports of an Audi driving erratically ten minutes before I had the accident. Someone had seen it before, but it was still free to do it.”
Sergeant Adrian Newman, of West Yorkshire Police, viewed the footage and described it as “a very poor piece of driving which could have ultimately resulted in something far worse”.
Bradford Telegraph and Argus: A black Audi performed a series of dangerous overtaking manoeuvres on Otley Road in East Morton, and nearly collided with oncoming traffic
The Audi driver narrowly avoids the van
Councillor Abdul Jabar, Bradford Council's executive member for neighbourhoods and community safety, said: "Dangerous driving can wreck lives and devastate families. People need to think about their actions every time they get behind the wheel."
Councillor Malcolm Slater (Lab, Keighley East), whose ward includes East Morton, condemned the driver responsible and said he was shock that such a dangerous manoeuvre could be carried out on that particularly tight stretch of uphill road.