Police appeal after dangerous driver '˜almost hits child'

Police have said it was '˜pure luck' that no-one was hurt after a driver almost hit a child.

Sussex Police is appealing for witnesses to the dangerous driving incident, which took place in Hove on Wednesday morning.

According to police, pedestrians had to jump out of the way of the black VW Golf, which sped off at the sight of a marked police van in Montgomery Street in Hove at about 9am before being abandoned 12 minutes later in Ellen Street, Portslade.

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Detective Constable Jon Freeman said: “The actions of the driver of the VW Golf were extremely dangerous and it appears that it is pure luck that they did not crash into any pedestrian or vehicle.

“There are many people who we wish to talk to, who had to take evasive action to avoid being hit or who waved at marked police vehicles to show them where vehicle had gone.

“We really appreciated their help at the time and ask that anyone who saw the vehicle to contact us. We’re especially interested in witnesses who were in the Hove Lagoon area. Enquiries are ongoing to identify and locate the driver of the car and bring them to justice.”

The car took the following route: Montgomery Street, north along Sackville Road and west down Coleridge Street where the police van stopped the pursuit.

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Members of the public called in to report seeing the car being driven erratically or waved to police searching for the car, police said.

Police added that it is known to have been driven in Sheridan Terrace, west on Coleridge Street crossing over Westbourne Street. It was next seen south on Hogarth Road where the car almost hit a woman crossing the road with her four-year-old child, west on New Church Road, south on Berridale Avenue where again it almost hit a member of the public crossing the road.

The VW Golf was seen driving west on Wharf Road, south on Basin Road and left into the private road that leads to the Hove Deep Sea Anglers’ Club. It then drove through the bollards onto the Western Esplanade and turned around, according to police.

DC Freeman said: “There were many members of the public on the seafront by the Lagoon, who had to get out its way. It then made attempts or threats to ram a vehicle that went on to reverse to allow the car to mount the curb and drive out on Basin Road North. It was then found abandoned in Ellen Street, Portslade.”

Anyone who witnessed what happened is asked to contact police on [email protected] or call 101 quoting reference 354 of 24/08.