POLICEMAN DRAGGED AT SPEED BY CAR

Press, Volume CXIII, Issue 33230, 21 May 1973, Page 2

POLICEMAN DRAGGED AT SPEED BY CAR

(From Our Own Reporteri

PICTON, May 20.

A police sergeant clinging to the open door of a speeding car pleaded with the driver to slow down so he

could fall off in comparative safety, as the car raced through Picton streets about 7.30 a.m. yesterday.

Sergeant D. Allen and Constable J. J. O’Halloran had been investigating burglaries in Picton. They went to the railway station, where four young men were reported to have been acting suspiciously near a car.

While one of the men was being questioned by Constable O’Halloran, he ran away. Sergeant Allen saw another man making for the car. chased him, and the man jumped in through the driver’s door. “While the car door was

• open 1 managed to get my I left arm inside and grab ; him,” said Sergeant Allen. : “As I did so I put my right ■ arm through the open wini dow to try to haul him out. ■ He started the car and we shot off at high speed.” The momentum forced ■ Sergeant Allen to release his grip on the man. With his ■right arm hooked over the sill of the still-open driver's door, he was dragged about i three-quarters of a mile at a speed estimated by one witness at 50 m.p.h. “I pleaded with him to ' slow down to let me drop off but he took no notice,” said Sergeant Allen. “I couldn't let go at the speed he was doing. I’d have Been killed.” After narrowly avoiding a collision with a truck, the. car swerved sharply at an intersection to avoid hitting a car. The speed slackened momentarily and Sergeant Allen seized his chance and dropped off. He cut a knee and was bruised. Assisted by workmen to a nearby garage, Sergeant Allen telephoned tire Blenheim police to establish road blocks. Then he went to the railway station to help Constable O’Halloran to arrest two other men. After receiving treatment j for lacerations suffered dur-1 ing his fall, Sergeant Allen | joined the search for the two suspects who had escaped. The police search for the driver of the car later bore fruit — this suspect was arrested in the Portage area. Policemen from Nelson, and dogs and handlers from Christchurch had joined the search. At 1 a.m. on Wednesday, Sergeant Allen and Constable O’Halloran had chased a man who made off in a car. About half a mile up Queen Char-; lotte Drive he abandoned the i car and escaped by climbingdown a steep, bush-clad ! bank. The police found that 11 burglaries had been commit ted, and goods and money to the value of about $2OOO stolen. Two cars had also been stolen. WARNING GIVEN The man still missing is said to be a European, aged 31, about sft 7in, with a fresh complexion. He has short, light-brown hair, and blue eyes, and is stocky. A mermaid is tattooed on his right forearm. When last seen he was dressed in dark trousers, red jersey, and either suede boots or shoes. He was attempting to use a Scottish accent. Residents have been warned to lock their cars and not to approach any man fitting this description.