'A Strange Pursuit': Driver Flees Police in Reverse on South Yorkshire Roads
Police in England said they were led on “a strange pursuit” on April 10, as a car-theft suspect reversed down a road for about the first quarter of a mile and was later caught after an officer borrowed a bicycle from a member of the public.
Video released by South Yorkshire Police shows a police officer pursuing a white Range Rover Evoque in the Parkgate area of Rotherham.
“I’ve got a vehicle failing to stop on Dalton Lane,” the officer tells his colleagues over the police radio. “This is a strange pursuit — it’s actually in reverse,” he says.
After reaching an intersection, the suspect stopped reversing, righted the vehicle, and sped away, leading the police officer across about 2.5 miles of Rotherham roads.
Police said: “The driver was witnessed to reverse down 60 mph roads, drive at speeds of 80 mph in a 30 mph area, and drive the wrong way round a roundabout before crashing and fleeing.”
Two people fled the vehicle, but the police officer focused his chase on one of the suspects. As that suspect fled the vehicle on foot, a member of the public offered the officer his bicycle to keep up the chase, saying “go get em!” according to police.
The officer then pedaled after the suspect, a 25-year-old male, and arrested him in the back garden of a private home.
“Further enquiries have led to officers believing the car was stolen last week from the Nottinghamshire area and the suspect to be the nominated person responsible for a robbery, in which £90,000 of jewelry was taken,” South Yorkshire Police said. The second suspect, who police believed to be the driver, was still at large, they added. Credit: South Yorkshire Police via Storyful
Video Transcript
[SIRENS]
- Excess, excess. I've got a vehicle failing to stop on Dalton Lane, Dalton Lane. It's-- Excess India, this is a strange pursuit. It's actually in reverse on Dalton Lane. And it's still in reverse on the wrong side of the road. It's temporarily high risk, back down to medium as we enter the Nationals in reverse.
[SIRENS]
And it's now on to Creswick Road it's a right, right, right, Creswick Road. Creswick Road still, approaching the junction with Dalton Lane, and it's a left, left, left. Now Dalton Lane towards Doncaster Road, speed is 60 in a 30. Going over the River Don, speed is 70 in a 30. Pedestrians are light. Traffic's light. It's medium risk.
He's got some ground on me. And it looks like it's going to be a decamp, decamp and a crash, crash, crash out and running.
[SIRENS]
- Excess, we've got [INAUDIBLE].
- [MUFFLED SPEECH]
[SIRENS]
- Where's he gone?
- Disgusting.
- Where's he gone?
- He went that way.
- Has he?
- If I may--
- Wah. Oops. Cheers. Stay where you are! Police officer with a taser. Stand still. Stay still now. Stay still.
- [INAUDIBLE]
- Stay still. Get your hands where I can see them, now. Do not move. Get on the floor, now. On the floor. Standby, I've got one on the floor.
At this time, under arrest, suspicion of theft of that vehicle. You don't have to say anything. It may harm your defensive if you do not mention when questioned something you later rely on in court. Anything you do say may be giving evidence.
