EXCITING CHASE

Evening Post, Volume CXI, Issue 76, 31 March 1931, Page 11

EXCITING CHASE

YOUTH IN STOLEN CAR

NARROW. ESCAPE FROM SMASH

(Special to "The Evening Post.") MABTEKTON, This Day. A youth sixteen years of age, sus- ' sected of unlawfully taking a light car from' St. Paul's Churchyard, Wellington, between ,7 and 8 o'clock on Sunday night, was arrested near Master--ton early yesterday afternoon under somewhat, exciting circumstances. The Masterton police were notified in tnc -morning that the missing,car was seen ■ in. Hieh street, and Constable le Comte sighted fhe missing car, which was proceeding south. Constable le Comtc s-topped Mr. W. G. Perry, who was goino: to lunch in his car, and immediately gave chase, but the benzine tank of Mr Perry's car was almost empty. The driver of the light car accelerated as soon as the chaso started ana was soon travelling at a speed or about 50, miles an hour, with a start of about five hundred yards. Mr. Perry's cai, •which touched 60 to 65 miles an hour, - had caught up with the fugitive near Jackson's servico station, where several approaching cars caused the light car "to slacken its speed' a littlo. Mr. Perry then got in front of the pursued car, and Constable lo Comto called \ on the driver to stop, but he refused. At this stage of tho chase a serious smash was narrowly averted, the'light car, travelling at about thirty miles an j hour, swerving to the side of the road, which is quite rough, and passing be- j tween tho fence and a power pole, the width between the.two being only sft lljin. However, the driver got through without mishap, but just grazed the palings on the fence a short distance further on. Ho then shot up, on to the road towards Mr. Perry's car Mr. Perry pulled aside to avert a collision, and then headed round in front of the other vehicle, the driver of which was forced to pull up or go into the fence. Before the cars had stopped Constable lo Comto, who was standing on the running board, seized the wheel of the other car, and arrested the driver. The accused will!be dealt •with in the Juvenile Court at Welling-1 ton.