HITCH-HIKER TAKES OVER

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31198, 24 October 1966, Page 1

HITCH-HIKER TAKES OVER

While a car was travelling between 45 and 50 miles an hour on the Main North road on Saturday afternoon a hitch-hiker for ced the driver to get out of his seat and took over the wheel.

A high-speed chase by police and traffic officers ended when the vehicle crashed into a culvert at the corner of Main North road and Cookson street, Kaiapoi.

About 1.15 p.m. Traffic Officer D. W. Nutira, of the Christchurch City Council traffic department, was on radar patrol when he saw a man walking along the middle of Cranford street with a transistor radio held to his ear. The man walked in front of some cars.

After the traffic officer remonstrated with him the pedestrian became abusive and threatened to strike the officer. While the traffic officer was calling for assistance over his radio the man walked off. He obtained a ride in a car for a short distance and then went to a service station in Cranford street and picked up a tyre lever. Mr D. M. McGeachie, a National Airways employee, of Pitcairn crescent, Papanui, was driving along Cranford street when he was trailed by the man. When Mr McGeachie stopped his car the man got in and ordered him to drive him to the Phoenix Hotel. Mr McGeachie refused and the man produced the tyre lever from his shorts and threatened Mr McGreachie. The car was driven north along Cranford street. The hitch-hiker became dissatisfied with the speed and de-

manded that it be driven faster. By threatening Mr McGeachie with the tyre lever, the hitch-hiker forced him from behind the wheel and into the back seat while the car was travelling between 45 and 50 miles an hour.

The car was driven at 60 miles an hour along the Main North road. Traffic Officer Nutira passed the car near St. Bede's College and endeavoured to stop it near the Daniels road intersection but the vehicle passed him. The traffic officer noticed that the passenger was driving. On the Main North road at Belfast a Transport Department patrol car and another car were parked across the road as a roadblock. The driver avoided this by driving along the footpath at high speed. The vehicle got back on the road just south of the Belfast Hotel. The car narrowly missed pedestrians, other vehicles and a child on a tricycle. The vehicle was also being chased by Traffic Officer W. J. Noster, of the City Council traffic department, on a motor-cycle and Sergeant J. O’Regan and Constable A. de Kort, of the Papanui Station, in a police car.

The chase ended when Mr McGeachie leaned over from the back seat and pulled the ignition keys from the switch. The car hit the culvert and its left front wheel was smashed.

A man was arrested. He will appear in the Magistrate’s Court on charges of threatening to do grievous bodily harm and reckless driving.