A man in his 20s has been arrested on suspicion of burglary and dangerous driving following a pursuit of a vehicle stolen from Prestwich. The man was driving a stolen Seat Leon on false plates when he was arrested last night, Thursday, June 18.
Police Chase Details
Officers from GMP's Tactical Vehicle Intercept Unit (TVIU) arrested the man after he led them on a pursuit, reaching speeds of up to 110mph, before crashing the car on a bend in Slaithwaite. Police say they spotted the car, which had been stolen the night before, while out on patrol in Oldham last night at around 10:30pm. They suspected it to be on false plates and requested it to stop.
The driver stopped on Lees Road but drove off after a brief conversation with officers, sending them on a pursuit through High Street and Oldham Road – heading towards the West Yorkshire border – speeding down a busy road at 80mph and driving straight across a junction at 50mph. When the chase reached Manchester Road, the suspect hit 110mph before colliding with a corner and flipping the Leon, with it coming to a complete stop on its roof in Slaithwaite.
Officer's Statement
PS Bobby Nasim from TVIU said: "This suspect showed a complete disregard for the safety of everyone else on the road or the pedestrians on the pavement as he was speeding down High Street in Oldham. Despite initially stopping for officers, he chose to flee and at excessive speeds into West Yorkshire in a stolen car. His actions could very easily have resulted in serious injuries or worse, both for innocent members of the public and the responding officer. Thankfully, nobody was injured during this 15-minute pursuit."
He added: "Those who think they can evade justice by driving dangerously should be under no illusion – our officers will continue catch those who think they can use our roads to enable their criminality. I would like to thank the officer involved in this incident for their professionalism throughout what was a fast-moving and potentially dangerous incident."
Arrest and Aftermath
While calling for other emergency services, the suspect pulled himself from the vehicle unharmed and attempted to make off. He was arrested meters from the wrecked vehicle. The driver was arrested on suspicion of burglary and dangerous driving, and remains in custody for questioning.
