Men Arrested After Motorway Chase

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32127, 24 October 1969, Page 1

Men Arrested After Motorway Chase

A police photographer’s alertness led to the arrest of three men after a chase at high speed on the Main North Road yesterday.

The C. 1.8. was told about 8.30 a.m. that the safe in the Rangiora shop of Hannah and Company, Ltd, had been cut

open and $l4O stolen and that the Coutts Island premises of Farrier-Waimak, Ltd, had also been burgled and an oxy-acetylene cutting plant stolen. Detectives in nine cars converged on a house in the Heathcote area about 10.30 a.m. looking for a car. When they did not find it'the search was widened.

Constable J. E. Brailey, of the police photographic section, had, in the meantime, been sent from Christchurch to take photographs in the burgled premises. On his way he heard a radioed description of the car sought by the detectives. When he saw a similar car on the Northern Motorway he radioed to the Christchurch police communications centre.

A chase began when the wanted car was seen by Constables A. F. Leslie and N. Watkins in a police-dog van. At times the speed of the van exceeded 80 miles an hour. At Woodend the van overshot the loop because another police car was coming from Rangiora, and the wanted ear, travelling on the alternative road, turned and headed south. However, as the car travelled south the driver saw five C. 1.8. cars coming towards him and turned into a farm drive. The police cars blocked the entrance and the men in the car were arrested. The men will appear in the Magistrate’s Court today charged with both burglaries.