Driver smashes cars, leads cops on chase

Lansdowne. The Jeep used by a man allegedly high on drugs which resulted in a high speed chase and a shootout with the police in Lansdowne on New Year's Day evening. PictureNizaar marli

Lansdowne. The Jeep used by a man allegedly high on drugs which resulted in a high speed chase and a shootout with the police in Lansdowne on New Year's Day evening. PictureNizaar marli

Published Jan 2, 2013

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Cape Town - A man in a four-wheel drive vehicle had police from Lansdowne to Philippi in a quandary on Tuesday as he drove around bashing into parked cars and smashing into police vehicles.

It took an enterprising tow-truck driver to finally bring the Jeep to a stop several hours after the drama began

At one point, the Jeep was being tailed by about 20 police vehicles, unable to stop the offending driver.

Residents of Lansdowne first became aware of the incident when he smashed into a parked car near the home of tow-truck driver Zahier Barden earlyTuesday evening.

The drama continued until after 10pm, Barden said in an interview this morning.

“It was a diesel van, so it was quite light on fuel and he was able to carry on for a while,” Barden said.

“The guy seemed like he was on drugs or something.

“He smashed into parked cars and later, when the police caught up with him, he smashed into some of their vehicles too.”

The man drove from Lansdowne to Philippi and back to Lansdowne, Wetton and Crawford.

At one stage he circled the Wetton Circle several times, with a long line of police vehicles on his tail.

Police fired at the errant motorist’s vehicle, shooting out three of his Jeep’s tyres. But he kept going.

Barden decided to intervene. In his tow truck, ee squeezed past the police vehicles and found a position in Turfhall Road where he was able to “ambush” the Jeep.

He dropped his towing array and was able to block the Jeep’s progress until he forced the vehicle to a stop not far from the Lansdowne police station.

But even then, it wasn’t the end. The errant driver might have been forced to stop, but he wasn’t going to voluntarily get out of the vehicle.

“Police were trying to get him out but he locked the doors. So, I went up there and broke some of the vehicle’s windows and helped the cops get him out,” Barden said.

He said the man was very strong and it took several large police officers to eventually hold him down and put cuffs on him.

“I don’t know what he was on, but he was immensely strong,” Barden said.

Police were not able to provide details of the incident at the time of publishing.

Cape Argus

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