TRUCK HITS CAR

Press, Volume C, Issue 29478, 3 April 1961, Page 13

TRUCK HITS CAR

Youths Caught After Chase After a converted truck crashed into a parked car in Suva street. Upper Riccarton, about 11 p.m. on Saturday some youths leapt from the cab and made off. The sound of the impact was heard over quite an area and a number of residents were soon on the scene. The owner of the ear. a Papanui resident, who was visiting friends in the street, and another man chased the youths on foot. When they saw that they would have difficulty in overtaking them they returned to the house and set off after them in another car.

The youths were chased along the streets for some distance before they were apprehended. They resisted at first but were quickly subdued. Two of them were taken to the Upper Riccarton Police Station.

Two youths will appear in the Magistrate’s Court this morning on charges of conversion and of unlawfully getting into a motor vehicle. It is understood that a third youth was involved.

The 15cwt truck was converted from the garage of Mr Ross Manderson, a shop proprietor, of 6 Yaldhurst road, some time between 6 p.m. and 8 p.m. on Good Friday. There were four sugar-bags of potatoes, two sacks of pumpkins, one Of marrows and seven bakers trays on the back of the truck and two gallons of paint and a new paint brush in the cab.

When Mr Manderson went to the Upper Riccarton police station to report that the vehicle had been taken he saw it parked in Waimairi road near the Bush Inn Hotel. The engine was warm and the keys were not in the ignition. He came out of the station less than three minutes later and the truck was gone. There were no eye-wit-nesses to the accident in Suva street but it is believed that the truck was driven out of Ballantyne avenue and struck the car about 20 yards to the east of the intersection. The fronts Of both vehicles were fairly extensively damaged. Men and women, some of whom were clad In dressing gowns and others with overcoats over their night attire, and a number of small boys gathered around the damaged vehicles. The goods left on the vehicle were missing. The two youths were arrested by Detective-Constable E. J. Stackhouse and were taken to the Central Police Station were they were lodged in the cells. A woman living in Ballantyne avenue said she saw three youths run past her place.