Two arrested after high-speed chase leaves elderly woman injured
Las Palmas de Gran Canaria saw moments of real danger yesterday afternoon (Friday) when two men in a stolen van led police on a high-speed chase through some of the capital’s busiest streets, putting countless motorists and pedestrians at risk.
It all began when Local Police received reports that two young men had been spotted in Las Alcaravaneras loading a motorbike into a white van. Hours later, the National Police located the same vehicle in La Minilla, causing Local Police units to investigate.
As officers approached the GC-23, they saw the van coming straight towards them in the opposite direction with the rear door hanging open. When police activated their lights and ordered the driver to stop, he hit the accelerator instead, leading to a dangerous pursuit.
At the La Ballena roundabout, the driver pretended to exit towards La Feria before violently swerving and slamming into the police car for the first time. He then continued down the GC-23, only to suddenly swing into an access slip road against the flow of traffic, forcing other drivers to swerve their vehicles aside to avoid a head-on collision.
The chase carried on along the Carretera General del Norte, where the driver ignored multiple red lights, sending pedestrians scrambling out of the way. Near the Aldi supermarket, the van burst through traffic waiting at a red light, causing an elderly woman crossing the road to fall heavily to the ground.
An officer jumped out of the patrol car and tried to stop the suspect by opening the van’s door, but the driver escaped once again. Moments later, one of the motorbikes fell out onto Alfredo Martín Reyes Street, and the van rammed the police vehicle a second time, this time with only one officer inside, as his colleague was helping the injured woman.
The suspects finally abandoned the van in Luis Correa Medina Street, leaving one motorbike inside. Three people had been travelling in the vehicle, but by the time police arrived, all of them had escaped on foot.
Backup units searching the area soon spotted two men acting suspiciously in Virgen de las Angustias Street. They matched the descriptions provided by officers and were arrested on the spot. The third suspect managed to escape.
The injured woman was taken to the La Feria Health Centre for treatment.
At National Police headquarters, officers confirmed the van had been reported stolen earlier this month. Although the two motorbikes were not listed as stolen, neither belonged to the arrested suspects.
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