YOUTHS STEAL BUS

Press, Volume XCV, Issue 28179, 18 January 1957, Page 10

YOUTHS STEAL BUS

High-Speed Chase In Wellington

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, Jan. 17.

A truck, private motorists, and a Wellington City Council traffic officer were involved last night in a high-speed chase along the Hutt road after a 29-seater bus had rammed a car in Aotea quay and sent it careering through a high fence. With help from private motorists, who stopped of their own accord and at his signals. Traffic Officer Pearson held three youths until police arrived and took them into custody. The bus, valued at more than £5OOO, had been taken from outside Newman’s office in Waterloo quay. Turning into Aotea quay and increasing speed, the bus attempted to overtake a car travelling at a more sedate pace. Its bumper caught the smaller vehicle and sent it flying through • a high fence on the left. The ' car was extensively damaged, but its driver, the QuartermasterGeneral. Brigadier J. R. Page, was uninjured. Two occupants of a truck saw that the bus failed to stop and set off in pursuit. A little further on Traffic Officer Pearson saw rhe bus pass at high speed with the truck in close pursuit. He immediately chased the truck and checking its speed at 60 miles an hour, turned on his siren. The truck driver waved Traffic Officer Pearson alongside and shouted to him that the bus had been involved in an accident Overhauled at 80 m.p.h.

Traffic Officer Pearson increased his speed to 80 miles an hour. A mile past the Ngauranga gorge road intersection with the Hutt road the bus pulled up as the officer overhauled it.

Two youths got out and started running toward Petone and a third crossed the road and started walking toward Wellington. Traffic Officer Pearson caught and held one of the two moving toward Petone until a car stopped. Then while its driver took over the first youth, he caught the other. Other motorists helped hold the two and the traffic officer chased the third, whom he caught. One of the youths broke away and started climbing a hill beside the roadway, but Traffic Officer Pearson pursued and caught him. Again the youth broke away and this time jumped over a 20-foot cliff. With the help of the driver of the truck which had originally pursued the bus, the youth was caught again.

By this time, the police had arrived and the traffic officer surrendered his captives. Only minor damage was done to the bus.