LORRY ACROSS ROAD STOPS STOLEN CAR

Dominion, Volume 30, Issue 47, 19 November 1936, Page 13

LORRY ACROSS ROAD STOPS STOLEN CAR

Carrier Assists Police SEARCH FOR OCCUPANTS IN PROGRESS By Telegraph—Press Association. Wairoa, November 18. A particularly smart piece of work on the part of the Wairoa'police; with the co-operation of Mr. W. Harvey, carrier, Omahanui, resulted in the recovery of a valuable motor-car which was stolen from Palmerston North on Monday evening, and might have resulted in the capturing of the thieves if the information at their disposal had been a little less vague. Some time yesterday the police received advice of the theft of the car, which was just a new one, and a careful watch was kept on roads leading into the borough in the hope of apprehending the thieves. As the result of their activities the police last evening were advised that a car answering somewhat to the description of the stolen vehicle was seen to pass through Wairoa, but the informant was uncertain, as the number received by the police was not the correct one. However, some time later they received a complaint that a drum of petrol had been stolen from a farmer’s residence near Frasertown, and they had reason to believe that they had at last got on to the tracks of the missing vehicle. By this time the thieves had obtained a fairly substantial (end, and the police got in touch with Mr. Harvey and asked him to keep a look-out on his way to Waikarcmoana. The move turned out to be a good one, for Mr. Harvey had not travelled very far after receiving the warning before he saw a big car approaching from the rear. Stopping his wool lorry across the road he prevented the car from passing. and when the driver of the car pulled up Mr. Harvey told him a story about a breakdown and his wait for a mechanic. After waiting for some time the driver of the car, -,t Maori youth, and a companion of about the same age, became suspicious and tried to turn the car round, which was impossible on the narrow road. They then backed the car at terrific speed and ran it into a ditch. The two youths then jumped out of the vehicle and disappeared. When Sergeant D. Clark and Constable McAlpine arrived on the scene the youths were nowhere in sight. The police continued to search all night without finding them. The ear, which was only very slightly damaged, was brought back to Wairoa and the search for the missing youths was continued to-day.