LONG PURSUIT OF CAR

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XXIII, Issue 276, 4 November 1933, Page 8

LONG PURSUIT OF CAR

Vehicle Believed Stolen CONSTABLE MAKES ARREST The recovery of a motor car alleged to have been stolen from Auckland ou Tuesday was effected un Thursday afternoon in circumstances which reflect credit on Constable I. Johnsen, of Mangawcka, who received valuable assistance from Messrs. L. Smith, S. Dickinson, J. .McDonald and A. McDonald, of Mangawcka. There was a long chase before the car was overtaken and an arrest was made. Inforamtioii regarding the theft of a two-seater car was received in Mangaweka on Tuesday and about noon on Thursday Mrs. Johnsen, wife of the constable, observed a similar car passing through Mangawcka. Constable Johnsen at once communicated with the Huntervillo police in order that the car might be prevented from passing through and in the meantime he secured the assistance of several Mangawcka residents, the party setting out in the constable’s car in pursuit on the road toward Oh in gait i. The party drove through to Huntervillc, a distance of a little under2o miles, only to find that the other car had not a'rrived. It was at once surmised that the driver had gone toward Kimbolton by a road which turns off near Ohingaiti. Constable Johnsen sent the civilians back to follow this route, while he and Constable Cosgrave, of Hunterville, set off in the latter’s car toward Kimbolton, travelling by way of the Sandon block route. At one point on this journey it was ascertained that tho party had been only two miles behind the wanted car. The fugitive, however, had apparently turned off along a side road, for Constables Cosgrove and Johnsen met a traveller near the junction of Rangiwahia and Kimbolton roads, and were informed that mi sign of tho car had been seen. Constable Cosgrove drove on toward Rangiwahia, while Constable Johnsen proceeded in the traveller s car towards Kimbolton. About four miles from Kimbolton they saw a car at the side of the road with a man standing beside it. Constable Johnsen nt once arrested the man and handcuffed him. There was a passenger in tho car, but the police investigations revealed the fact that this man had accepted a “lift” from Taihapo and had no connection with the alleged theft of the car from Auckland. Tho chase and return to Mangawcka entailed covering nearly 100 miles.