High-speed chase ends in ditch

GARDEN ROUTE NEWS - Travellers on the N2 between near Plettenberg Bay on Friday afternoon, 28 October, could not be blamed for thinking they had entered a high-speed movie chase scene when two suspected car thieves sped towards Plett with crime fighters in hot pursuit.

The chase didn't last very long however.

The vehicle, occupied by a driver and passenger, landed up in a ditch near Harkerville. Southern Cape police spokesperson Sgt Chris Spies said that officers on patrol along the N2 spotted the vehicle, a Toyota Tazz that was reported stolen in George earlier in the day, travelling towards Plettenberg Bay at about 16:30.

"While [officers] approached, the vehicle sped off and a vehicle chase ensued. The vehicle later left the road, came to a halt in the bushes [along the] highway when the driver jumped out and fled the scene on foot," Spies said.

"The vigilant members pursued the man and his freedom was short-lived when they caught up with him hiding in a ditch.

"He and his passenger were subsequently arrested on charges of possession of stolen property."

It is believed that the vehicle was stolen in George. Otto Olivier of the Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association (PBCPA) said various crime fighters, including police and private security companies, gave chase after licence plate recognition (LPR) cameras picked up the vehicle near Plett.

A case of vehicle theft has been opened in George and detectives are probing the initial incident.

The suspects, aged 24 and 36, remain in custody and are expected to make their first court appearance in the Plettenberg Bay Magistrate's Court on a charge of possession of a stolen vehicle this week.

Spies said that the officers on the N2 were members of the rural flying squad, deployed along highways of the Western Cape in an attempt to curb the trafficking of stolen goods, firearms and drugs. Garden Route District Commissioner, Maj-Gen Norman Modishana lauded the officers' vigilance.

Crime fighters on the scene.