A stolen car raced through a major Salford roundabout – causing a massive smash – before a taxi driver was forced to hand his keys over at knifepoint as a suspect made their getaway.
The cabbie’s vehicle was tracked down in the West Midlands late last night (Friday). A man was then arrested.
Greater Manchester Police (GMP) said detectives are investigating the theft of a car on Regent Road in Salford at around 9.20pm. That vehicle was then involved in a smash, with three other cars damaged.
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The injuries suffered by those involved were not life-threatening. The person in the stolen car got out, before a nearby taxi was ‘taken violently’.
A driver was threatened with a blade and was hurt, but their injuries are not life-threatening. They were ‘told to hand over the keys’ before the suspect headed towards Manchester city centre, GMP said.
The force’s specialist operations branch was then drafted in to scour the area. The car was stopped in the West Midlands, on the M42, after being spotted on the M6, at around 11pm.
A 29-year-old man was arrested on suspicion of robbery; and wounding with intent to do grievous bodily harm. He is in the process of being brought to Greater Manchester tor questioning, the force has said this morning (Saturday).
Chief Inspector Simon Ashcroft of GMP’s Salford district said: “This is understandably a terrifying ordeal for those involved last night, but after a swift response by our dedicated local officers and the support of the wider force, we were not only able to manage the scene effectively, we also detained the suspect with assistance from colleagues in another force before any further harm could be caused.
“I hope this result shows that we will use all the resources available to us to detect and detain offenders quickly who are intent on causing unnecessary harm to innocent members of the public.
“As we continue to investigate to bring justice, if anyone has any further information in relation to this incident, or footage including dashcam, doorbell or CCTV.”
Anyone with information is asked to call 101, quoting incident 3337 of 16/02/2024; or Crimestoppers, anonymously, on 0800 555 111.
William Turner is a seasoned U.K. correspondent with a deep understanding of domestic affairs. With a passion for British politics and culture, he provides insightful analysis and comprehensive coverage of events within the United Kingdom.