Perhaps he was one of the few people in the world who actually liked 1983’s terrible Bond outing, Octopussy, or maybe he just had fond memories of watching the old Top Gear crew turn a Jaguar XJ-S and Audi A4 into trains.
Maybe we’ll never know what inspired him, but in May this year a 31-year old British man decided to drive what looks like an old Mitsubishi Pajero/Shogun half a mile down a live train track near Birmingham in the UK.
After driving through a gate at Duddeston Station, Aaron O’Halloran headed down the track towards Aston before abandoning the car and fleeing the scene, leaving a £23,000 ($32,000) trail of destruction and, fortunately for police, his phone, behind.
No one was hurt, but rail passengers were forced to endure an eight-hour delay while the mess was cleaned up. Police quickly tracked down O’Halloran using his phone, but he refused to comment on the incident, saying only that he wasn’t responsible.
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Watch the shocking moment a driver sped down the railway tracks near Birmingham.
He’ll now have plenty of time to reflect on this ‘immensely dangerous and senseless act’ in prison. 💭😱
Full story here 👉 https://t.co/OYE29CNWN9 pic.twitter.com/5IQhVJR8JY
— British Transport Police (@BTP) September 7, 2021
A jury clearly thought otherwise and O’Halloran was convicted of endangering people on the railway, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and using a vehicle without insurance. He was imprisoned for 15 months after appearing at Birmingham Crown Court and ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £156 ($217).