Hundreds of pounds worth of damage has been caused at a Sunderland garage after a thief driving a stolen car crashed into other vehicles.
The culprit was driving a blue Ford Fiesta that was stolen from a nearby supermarket car park when they sped onto the forecourt of Justin Oxman Cars, thinking it could be used as a shortcut. The suspect realised they could not get out the other side of the forecourt so reversed at full speed, forcing two customers to jump out the way before crashing into two cars that were parked on site and then speeding away
The owner of the north-east business, which both sells and repairs cars, will now need to call upon their motor trade insurance policy to ensure they are not left out of pocket by the criminal’s reckless behaviour. This business cover can offer protection for vehicles stored on site, should they be stolen or damaged in incidents such as this. It can also include public liability cover, in case a customer should suffer an accident on site.
Nigel Oxman, a co-owner of Justin Oxman Cars, took matters into his own hands in the heat of the moment; the Sunderland Echo reported that the 39-year-old jumped in his own car to give chase after the thief but soon gave up and left the job to the police.
Police say the Ford Fiesta had already collided with another car as it left the Tesco car park. They added: “Inquiries are ongoing to trace the Fiesta and the driver.”
