A man in his 30s has been arrested
A suspected stolen car “made off at speed” after crashing into a taxi carrying passengers, before causing further damage to two police vehicles.
There was a police chase after the vehicle was spotted by PSNI officers on patrol in the Falls Road area on Monday.
The suspected stolen vehicle, a red Citroen C4, was being “driven erratically” before it collided with the taxi near the junction of Royal Avenue and Donegal Street, before “making off at speed”.
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Two police vehicles were also damaged. A man in his 30s has been arrested.
A PSNI spokesperson said: “Police in west Belfast have arrested a man after a pursuit involving a suspected stolen vehicle on Monday, August 4th.”
Chief Inspector Pete Cunningham said: “District Support Team Officers were on patrol in the Falls Road area when they observed a car which they believed had been reported stolen the previous day.
“The vehicle, a red Citroen C4, was being driven erratically and collided with a taxi, which was carrying passengers, near the junction of Royal Avenue and Donegal Street, before making off at speed and being abandoned in the area of Donegal Quay.
“Our enquiries remain ongoing, but thankfully, there have been no reports of any serious injuries at this time. Damage was, however, caused to the vehicles involved in the collision, along with two police vehicles.”
“One man, aged in his 30s, was arrested a short distance away on suspicion of a number of offences including dangerous driving, driving when unfit through drink or drugs, theft of a vehicle, aggravated vehicle taking causing damage, using a motor vehicle without insurance and no driving licence. He remains in custody at this time, assisting with enquiries.
Chief Inspector Cunningham continued: “Our officers dedicate themselves to the communities they serve, often at great risk to themselves. While any injury to our officers or members of the public is completely unacceptable, thankfully, on this occasion, we are not dealing with more serious consequences as a result of this reckless behaviour.
“Damage to police vehicles often requires them to be off the road for repairs, and this impacts on service delivery to the public.
“Anyone with information, including dashcam or other video footage, is asked to contact police on 101, quoting reference 1914 of 4/8/25.
A police spokesperson added: “Alternatively, you can submit a report online using the non-emergency reporting form via http://www.psni.police.uk/makeareport/. You can also contact Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 or online at http://crimestoppers-uk.org/ “
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