Car thief arrested after reckless effort to dodge police

(CNS): A 50-year-old man from George Town has been arrested for a catalogue of offences after he stole a black Jeep Cherokee and then went on a reckless and dangerous ride from Bodden Town to George Town as he tried to dodge the police. The Jeep was taken from a Mary Street parking lot sometime before 1pm on Wednesday. At around 3pm a police officer in Beach Bay, Bodden Town, spotted the stolen vehicle travelling dangerously at high speed and informed other units.

Due to the reckless way the suspect was driving, a decision was made in the interest of public safety to establish traffic control points, the police said in a press release about the incident. Responding officers from George Town, supported by the RCIPS helicopter, coordinated strategic traffic control points at various locations along Shamrock Road, Crewe Road, Fairbanks and the Linford Pearson Highway to try and contain the vehicle and prevent a high-speed collision.

But the rogue driver evaded the police and failed to stop at the roadblocks and continued to drive dangerously until he eventually collided with three other vehicles on the Linford Pierson Highway and came to a stop by the Agnes Way roundabout.

The driver, who was alone in the Jeep, got out and fled on foot, but after a short foot pursuit he was caught and arrested on suspicion of taking away a conveyance without the owner’s consent, a reckless and negligent act, dangerous driving and a host of other traffic driving offences.

He remains in police custody pending further investigations.