THIEF LEAPS FROM CAR

Taranaki Daily News, 22 May 1934, Page 6

THIEF LEAPS FROM CAR

ATTEMPT TO EVADE ARREST ESCAPE MADE FROM THE POLICE. DETERMINATION OF CONSTABLE. CAR DAMAGES HOUSE IN CAREER. By Telegraph—Press Association., Auckland, Last Night. A successful effort to evade arrest was made by a motor-car thief who leaped from a moving car and escaped in the darkness when accosted by a constable in Newton. . The owner left the car in Queen Street while he attended a picture theatre and it was stolen in his abs^ c ®’ Later Constable J. McKenzie saw a threeseater answering the description of the stolen vehicle travelling slowly along the Great North Road. The car stopped with its engine still running. As soon as the driver saw the constable approaching he drove off but before the car could gather speed the constable managed to jump on to side running board. He retained his hold while the driver accelerated. The driver of the stolen car opened the right-hand door and slid out from behind the wheel, standing on the oft side running board and steering with one hand. For a short distance the car continued with the thief on one running board and the constable on the other, the width of the vehicle separating them. Near a comer, however, the thlei jumped clear, leaving the constable clinging to the car, which was by that time travelling smartly. Determined to arrest the thief, the constable also jumped from his side of the car. Both men fell.in the roadway and the thief, who picked himself up smartly, was chased but scaled a fence and disappeared. With nobody at the wheel, the car continued down a slight grade swerved slightly to the right and .crashed into the gate of -a property at the comer of Burgoyne Street. The impact was sufficient to smash about 10ft of a palmg fence while a verandah rail was also broken, the car coming to rest with_one front wheel almost inside the door of the The occupant of the house said there was a terrific crashing of broken wood and glass as the car struck the building and at first he thought an explosion had ° C One of the gateposts was hurled half way down the hall, while a stout verandah support was also well inside the front door, a large glass panel in which w-j broken. Several boards near the front door were smashed. A similar crime with more serious.consequences was committed at Auckland last September, when Constable E. E. Stewart had his right leg badly fractured in an attempt to arrest a motor-car thief