A learner driver had a narrow escape on Tuesday afternoon when a Newton Abbot road became the scene of a dramatic police car chase which ended with several cars colliding and the road being closed. Police had become interested in the activities of a grey Vauxhall Cavalier with two men inside when it sped off down Twickenham Road. The patrol car followed with its blue lights and sirens on but its officers were forced to hold back as the Cavalier first struck a parked Honda Jazz and then swerved across the road. The learner driver behind the wheel of a silver Ford Fiesta emerging from Swanborough Road had to make an emergency stop in order to avoid the speeding Vauxhall, which then hit a Hyundai Getz. That, in turn, was shunted into a black Renault Clio while the Cavalier ground to a halt owing to the damage it had sustained. No-one was seriously injured and the two men in the Cavalier – both from Torquay and thought to be in their 20s – were arrested on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking. The road was sealed off for several hours while evidence was taken and the debris cleared. At the time of going to press, one of the men remained in custody while the other had been released on bail until August 11. Police would like to talk with the learner driver and their instructor.
