Dramatic footage has captured the moment a Swansea neighbourhood, and even a bin lorry, tried to stop a car from being stolen. Sam Joseph and his fiancée Emma couldn't believe their eyes when they looked out their window to see someone attempting to drive away Mr Joseph's red Ford Fiesta ST from their driveway in broad daylight.
The incident took place in Heol Pentre Bach, Gorseinon, Swansea, at 8.14am on Friday, March 18, and shows a man inside the vehicle, which Mr Joseph bought second hand for £13,000 in 2019, attempting to get the steering lock off the wheel to make his escape.
Mr Joseph ran outside and began shouting through the window, whilst trying to open the doors to get the man out. You can read about more incidents in the Gorseinon area by clicking here, and you can sign up to the latest newsletters featuring news from the Swansea area by clicking here.
Mr Joseph explained: "I was upstairs getting ready for work and my fiancé actually started shouting saying, "Someone is in your car, someone is stealing your car". I ran downstairs as quickly as I could out onto the driveway and he was still in the car and had got the engine started, so he must have got around the manufacturer's immobiliser.
"I started shouting at him through the window and tried to open the doors to try and get him out. He was trying to get the steering lock off the wheel. He panicked because we were trying to stop him and accelerated over a grass bank and over a pavement and onto the road. The steering lock was still attached but he managed to drive the car up the road out of sight, but stopped it then because he was struggling to steer.
"This sounds like something out of a movie, but he stopped then because there was a bin lorry in the road, they saw what was happening and they tried to stop him getting past by parking the bin lorry in the road. One of the bin men filmed him in the car getting the steering lock off. He accelerated up over a pavement around the bin lorry and then escaped. He had no consideration for the car or anyone else, he was just determined to get this car."
Mr Joseph, aged 29, explained his first reaction was to try and stop his car being stolen, which he had only just filled up with a tank of fuel. He said: "My feeling at the time was just, I wouldn't say it was shock as such, it was just determination, but at the same time, I didn't want to put myself or my fiancée at risk.
"We contacted the police on the morning as soon as we could after I saw there was nothing I could do. They arrived quite quickly, then I called the insurance and the DVLA. The car is still missing. I posted on social media and a lot of people have shared that post and been very supportive. No arrests have been made, but police say they are checking all the cameras for the number plate.
"I've kind of accepted the car might be gone now, but at the same time, this guy has to be found, because this can't happen to people, they can't have their cars taken off their driveways in broad daylight. I'm just glad no-one was hurt, really, that's the main thing. If anyone has any information, definitely get in touch with the police. I do want the car found but I don't know what state it is going to be in now, even if I did get it back I wouldn't want to keep it, it would probably need repair work and stuff. The way he was driving it, I don't know what state it would be in. In a way I'd rather them find the guy than the car.
"The police officer said it was one of the most bizarre cases he had seen, normally thefts happen when nobody is around at night, but this was a time when people would be going to school, work and things. I would like to thank everyone who has provided support, particularly my family, friends and neighbours. And thanks to the bin men for the video."
A spokeswoman for the police said: “South Wales Police is investigating the theft of a car from an address in Heol Pentre Bach, Gorseinon, at around 8.15am on Friday, March 18. Officers are now trying to locate the stolen car which is a red Ford Fiesta. The suspect has been captured on CCTV in the area and officers are appealing for anybody with any information to make contact by any of the following means, quoting reference 2200089271."
Do you have any information that may help police in their investigations? Click here, send them a private message on Facebook or Twitter, e-mail SWP101@south-wales.police.uk or call 101.
