Hong Kong News
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Thursday, Dec 26, 2024
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Merc driver nabbed after high-speed smash-up
A 34-year-old Southeast Asian man suspected of being a member of a theft syndicate was arrested yesterday after a high-speed car chase by police from Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong ended in a six-vehicle pile-up on Hung Mui Kuk Road, Tai Wai.
The Mercedes-Benz which police were chasing rammed into the five vehicles - including a taxi - which resulted in one person getting injured.
The suspect was pinned on the ground after a chase by police officers on foot when he attempted to run away after the collision soon after 2pm.
He was a suspected member of the gang which police claimed used stolen credit cards to buy electronic products at Festival Walk during lunchtime. Four to five members of the group left the mall in a black Mercedes.
A territory-wide police search was under way for at least three of the other gang members who jumped out of the luxury car and managed to flee after after the pile-up.
Police said officers of the Hong Kong Island regional crime unit are investigating a number of theft cases and have identified the gang, which consists of South Asian and Hong Kong residents.
Sources said officers of the regional crime unit spotted the target vehicle with the suspect and several other gang members after they finished shopping at Festival Walk.
A 5-kilometer chase ensued but the driver of the Benz jumped a red light in Hung Mui Kuk Road near Lung Hang Estate before he lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a line of five vehicles in an attempt to push his way out.
Four to five people then abandoned the Benz and fled but officers managed to catch the suspect - the driver of the vehicle - pinning him on the ground before arresting him. The suspect was held for furious driving, driving without a license and driving without third party insurance.
A female driver, Ma, who was in the first private car that stopped at the red traffic light when the crash occurred, said she heard the car crash behind her and saw "a group of men running away with police officers chasing them with batons."
Two boys with Ma said afterwards that they felt "a bit frightened."
After the incident, a large number of officers arrived at the scene to check surveillance videos from nearby stores and searched for evidence on Hung Mui Kuk Road.
The road was full of car fragments, with one private car's windshield broken and the body dented.
The Mercedes-Benz ended sandwiched between two cars, severely damaged with its body dented, bumper flung off and air bag inflated.
The suspect was pinned on the ground after a chase by police officers on foot when he attempted to run away after the collision soon after 2pm.
He was a suspected member of the gang which police claimed used stolen credit cards to buy electronic products at Festival Walk during lunchtime. Four to five members of the group left the mall in a black Mercedes.
A territory-wide police search was under way for at least three of the other gang members who jumped out of the luxury car and managed to flee after after the pile-up.
Police said officers of the Hong Kong Island regional crime unit are investigating a number of theft cases and have identified the gang, which consists of South Asian and Hong Kong residents.
Sources said officers of the regional crime unit spotted the target vehicle with the suspect and several other gang members after they finished shopping at Festival Walk.
A 5-kilometer chase ensued but the driver of the Benz jumped a red light in Hung Mui Kuk Road near Lung Hang Estate before he lost control of the vehicle and rammed into a line of five vehicles in an attempt to push his way out.
Four to five people then abandoned the Benz and fled but officers managed to catch the suspect - the driver of the vehicle - pinning him on the ground before arresting him. The suspect was held for furious driving, driving without a license and driving without third party insurance.
A female driver, Ma, who was in the first private car that stopped at the red traffic light when the crash occurred, said she heard the car crash behind her and saw "a group of men running away with police officers chasing them with batons."
Two boys with Ma said afterwards that they felt "a bit frightened."
After the incident, a large number of officers arrived at the scene to check surveillance videos from nearby stores and searched for evidence on Hung Mui Kuk Road.
The road was full of car fragments, with one private car's windshield broken and the body dented.
The Mercedes-Benz ended sandwiched between two cars, severely damaged with its body dented, bumper flung off and air bag inflated.
