Driver without licence escapes cops twice, runs red light, abandons vehicle and arrested after manhunt

A manhunt for a 26-year-old driver who fled from police twice led to his eventual arrest.

Police officers were patrolling along Solomon Street on Tuesday (March 14) at 2:58am when they approached a man in a stationary car, to advise him against driving if he had consumed alcohol.

When the officer asked him to alight from his vehicle, he allegedly refused to comply with the officer’s instructions and sped off.

Police officers gave chase but lost sight of him after a distance. Police officers islandwide were immediately alerted to look out for the vehicle.

At about 3:20am, the vehicle was spotted by another group of police officers at a carpark along Jurong West Street 81.

When the officers approached the man and instructed him to pull over, he purportedly refused to comply with the officers’ instructions, reversed and sped off.

During the pursuit, the man was seen allegedly failing to conform to red light signals.

An intense manhunt was conducted for both the man and the vehicle. At about 3:15pm on the same day, the vehicle was found abandoned along Kian Teck Road.

Through ground enquires and with the aid of images from CCTV and police cameras, officers from the Central Police Division, Traffic Police and Bedok Police Division arrested the man along Jalan Eunos at about 4:30pm on the same day.

No one was injured during the incident.

The man was to be charged in court on Thursday (March 16) for the following offences:

• Using criminal force to deter a public servant from discharge of his duty, which carries an imprisonment for a term which may extend to four years, a fine, or both.
• Two counts of failing to stop as required by a police officer in uniform, which carries a fine not exceeding $1,000 or an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.
  
• Driving without a valid driving licence, which 
  

  carries a fine not exceeding $10,000, an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three years, or both.

• Driving without a valid insurance, which carries a fine not exceeding $1,000, an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months or both.
• Failing to conform to red light, which 
  

  carries a fine not exceeding $1,000, or an imprisonment for a term not exceeding three months.