A stolen van reached speeds of up to 100mph during a police pursuit through Bolton, Wigan and Chorley on Wednesday (August 14), before hitting a cyclist and crashing at a pedestrian crossing. The driver, a 25-year-old man, was arrested and has been bailed pending further enquiries.
Pursuit details
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) received a 999 call at 6.23pm about a van containing parcels worth around £1,000 being stolen in Bolton. With the caller's support, officers located the van within 15 minutes, but the driver made off at speed. Specialist GMP Transport Unit officers pursued the vehicle for 40 minutes, with the chase crossing into Lancashire.
Reckless driving
At times, the van exceeded triple the speed limit and damaged multiple pieces of street furniture. The driver failed to brake at red traffic lights, forced a pedestrian to run to safety, clipped a roundabout, and narrowly avoided a car. The pursuit ended when the van mounted a pedestrian crossing and hit a stationary car.
Arrest and statement
A cyclist was injured by the van, but their injuries were not serious. Officers detained the driver, who was arrested on suspicion of theft of a motor vehicle, dangerous driving, failure to stop, driving under the influence of a controlled substance, and possession of Class A and C drugs. He has since been bailed.
PC Nat Mannyng, from GMP's Transport Unit, said: "This was an extremely dangerous incident which saw a vehicle reaching speeds of 100mph through residential streets where families, pedestrians and other road users were going about their daily lives. The driver showed a complete disregard for public safety and innocent members of the public were harmed as a result of his actions."
"Thankfully, there were only minor physical injuries, but his behaviour could have resulted in a serious collision. Our officers are trained to continually assess the risks involved in any pursuit, and the decision-making throughout this incident was focused on protecting the public and ensuring the situation was brought to a safe conclusion."
"We will continue to take robust action against those who choose to put lives at risk on our roads, and we hope this outcome sends a clear message that these offences will not be tolerated."
