Hong Kong police arrest driver after dramatic car chase and building lockdown
Police say the man crashed his BMW and fled the car, leaving a female passenger behind
A driver of a BMW vehicle who led police on a dramatic car chase, then crashed his vehicle and fled on foot, sparking a two-hour search operation in a Tai Po industrial building, was arrested in the early hours of Wednesday.
Initial investigation showed that he reached speeds of up to 100km/h in a 50km/h zone, crossing at least five red light junctions during the 3.5km predawn car chase, according to police.
The five-minute pursuit came to an abrupt end when the driver drove 500 metres down the wrong side of Ting Kok Road, then rammed into a metal fence at the entrance of Tai Ping Industrial Centre.
The man jumped out of his vehicle and ran into the building, leaving behind his female passenger before police caught up.
Reinforcements including officers from the emergency unit were called in.
“Police guarded all the exits of the building before officers carried out a floor-to-floor search,” a source said, adding that the man, 46, was found at one of the staircases of the building about two hours later.
The man was arrested for dangerous driving as well as driving without a valid licence and third-party insurance, police said.
The pursuit began at about 3.15am when officers from the New Territories North traffic unit were carrying out an operation against drunk drivers.
Police spotted the blue BMW sedan illegally crossing the double white line on the Sha Tin-bound Tolo Highway near the upscale Hong Lok Yuen estate.
The source said police sounded their siren and signalled for the driver to pull over but he refused to stop and sped away. Officers then gave chase.
During the pursuit, the BMW left the highway, drove into Tai Po Tai Wo Road and sped around the Tai Po town area, through Ting Tai Road, Nam Wan Road and Cheun On Road before ending up travelling in the wrong direction on Ting Kok Road.
The driver passed a breathalyser test and no one was injured in the incident. The car was allegedly borrowed from his friend.
A police spokesman said the suspect was being held for questioning and had not been charged.
The New Territories North traffic unit is investigating.
