Stolen wagon wrecking spree

Wagon stolen from builders yard on Hadfield Street, Hathershaw. It then sped down the road causing carnage to other vehicles.

3 More Image(s) In Gallery

STARTLED residents on a quiet street woke to carnage this morning as a wagon hurtled down their road overturning and crushing vehicles in its wake.

The drama unfolded at 6.40am when the wagon ­- loaded with a crane and bricks ­- smashed through the gates of Si Tec Building Materials Store, on Hadfield Street, just off Ashton Road.

Witnesses said they saw the wagon carry on down towards Copster Hill Road, with the arms of the crane flailing.

As the wagon proceeded, the crane caught a parked car. The thief carried on regardless, dragging the vehicle down the road.

As he tried to shake it, the loaded bricks began falling off, smashing into other vehicles on the road.

The driver continued to crash into cars with some overturning and others having their roofs and windows crushed.

Two cars had been overturned, one of which had landed on top of another resident's car, one parked car had been forced so violently off the road it had crashed through a resident's garden wall and into their garden and another van had been turned over and forced into Wyndale Road.

The owners of Si Tec told the Chronicle to stop the wagon being stolen, they load it up with bricks and place the crane on top so it won't fit through the gates, however the driver had ignored the tight fit, taking with him a chunk of the wall.

Police are investigating. Miraculously, there are not believed to be any injuries.

Debrah Connor (58), a resident whose son's car had been damaged in the incident, said: "I heard the noise first and then thought it was bin day but realised that it wasn't, I was at my dresser so looked out of the window and saw the wagon from across the road ­- it was going really fast.

"The arms of the crane was swinging and caught the cars and the driver just dragged them along. I saw the guy driving but he just looked like a lunatic.

"The wagon was full of bricks, he just didn't care, he was still going. He went into one car, then another and another.

"It is like something out of a movie. Another half an hour and the street would be full of cars, it's lucky somebody hasn't been killed."

Eric Amaznyczencko, whose son's car was trapped underneath another residents car, said: "The arm of the crane was just sticking into the car, I heard it and went to the window and saw the wagon and saw the arm and it has caught the roof.

"He just carried on then and I went and told my lad 'you're car has just been smashed'.

"Anybody could have been walking up here going to school, it's unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable the van was fully loaded with bricks."