Shocking dash-cam footage shows stolen van ploughing into war memorial in Remembrance Day police chase

Ellen Manning

This dramatic dash-cam footage shows the moment a van thief ploughs into a village war memorial on Remembrance Day after a high-speed police chase.

Grant Gold drove sped away from officers at speeds of up to 90mph in a stolen Ford Transit van.

The 27-year-old nearly toppled the van as he negotiated roundabouts and bends at break-neck speed, narrowly avoiding other cars, mounting a pavement and even driving off-road to evade police.

But he eventually collided with another van and smashed into a war memorial, ending the chase in Marston Green, West Midlands.

Gold, 27, of Skye Close, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, was jailed for 22 months and banned from driving for three years at Birmingham Crown Court on January 11.

<em>The dramatic footage shows the moment the stolen van ploughs into a war memorial following the high-speed police chase (Picture: SWNS)</em>
The dramatic footage shows the moment the stolen van ploughs into a war memorial following the high-speed police chase (Picture: SWNS)

He had stolen the Ford Transit from Lundy View, Kingshurst, Solihull, at 1pm on November 11.

Around three hours later, the van triggered an Automatic Number Plate Recognition camera, sparking a police chase through the outskirts of Birmingham.

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Police dash-cam footage shows the chase along Bickenhill Parkway and through Marston Green – where Gold at one stage ploughed through a fence, over grassland and along a public footpath.

The pursuit came to a dramatic end when Gold collided with a smaller van in Station Road and veered into the village’s war memorial.

<em>Grant Gold, 27, of Skye Close, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, was jailed for 22 months and banned from driving for three years (Picture: SWNS)</em>
Grant Gold, 27, of Skye Close, Castle Bromwich, Birmingham, was jailed for 22 months and banned from driving for three years (Picture: SWNS)

He was arrested running away and went on to admit aggravated vehicle taking − encompassing dangerous driving − plus vehicle theft relating to a Ford Focus ST stolen by two accomplices from the NEC.

Investigating officer PC Sarah Harvey from Solihull Police’s Investigation Team said: “Gold placed many road users and pedestrians at risk due to the nature of his driving. It’s lucky that no-one was seriously hurt or killed.

“He admitted taking the van and dropping two unknown accomplices − who ran away from the crashed ST − at the NEC knowing they were intending to steal another car.

“However, we suspect Gold is likely to have been responsible for other car thefts and I am sure we’ll see a reduction in such offences with him behind bars.”

Police are still trying to identify and find the two other offenders who made off.