Bizarre moment Police chase ‘stolen’ wrecked patrol car as it crashes into hedge
- Motorist Carl Johnson, 32, was left baffled by the unusual road scene
- The patrol car was allegedly stolen when the police stopped to speak to a suspect
A driver was amazed to see police chasing one of their patrol cars down a country lane – before crashing into a fence.
Driver Carl Johnson, 32, was in the quiet lane when the wrecked patrol car drove around the corner.
He then sees a police motorcyclist being followed by another police car in hot pursuit of their power vehicle.
His dashcam then captured the moment the fleeing thief who stole the police car swerved off the road and into a fence.
The drama began after the officers were following another car when they stopped it and chased the driver on foot.
Motorist Carl Johnson, 32, was left baffled by an unusual sight on the road in Draithen
Carl, who filmed the dashcam footage, said he thought he was going to crash into the police car
But the young passenger jumped into the police car the officers had evacuated and sped away.
Dashcam footage showed him speeding around a narrow country lane corner before crashing into a fence.
The young man allegedly led police in pursuit for four miles before eventually crashing into Draithen, near Caerphilly, South Wales.
Carl, who filmed the dashcam footage, said he thought he was going to crash into the police car when it got too close to him.
Gwent Police said officers initially responded to “several reports” of another vehicle being driven dangerously
The force said a 19-year-old was charged with car theft, dangerous driving, drinking or drug driving, assault and criminal damage.
He said: ‘We were driving across the driveway and I decided not to speed up knowing there was a one-car bridge approaching.
When we got to the corner a police car was in the middle of the road.
When the police car swerved, it lost control and disappeared through the fence. It was a close call.’
Gwent Police said officers initially responded to “several reports” of another vehicle being driven dangerously in the Gregg y Raka area of Caerphilly on Saturday 8 April.
The force said a 19-year-old youth is charged with car theft, dangerous driving, drink or drug driving, assault and criminal damage, and is in custody.
A 22-year-old man was also arrested and charged with dangerous driving, driving on drugs, failure to stop for police, criminal damage and racial or religious harassment. He has since been released on conditional bail.
