A suspected car thief has been arrested following a dangerous pursuit through Orihuela Costa in which a Local Police patrol vehicle was rammed and two officers were injured.
The incident occurred on Sunday morning on the N-332, shortly before the Punta Prima roundabout, during one of the busiest periods of the summer.
According to the Orihuela Local Police, officers spotted a vehicle matching the description of one recently reported stolen. When they signalled for the driver to stop, he allegedly accelerated away, driving recklessly and putting pedestrians and other road users at risk.
The pursuit continued along the busy coastal road before reaching what police described as its most dangerous moment. Despite having two alternative escape routes, the driver allegedly deliberately drove into the patrol car travelling ahead of him.
The impact caused extensive damage to the police vehicle, which left the road and came to rest at the roadside. Officers reportedly had to move quickly to avoid being struck from behind at high speed.
Despite suffering injuries in the collision, the two officers immediately left their damaged vehicle and continued chasing the suspect on foot.
The pursuit moved into a nearby residential area, where the fleeing man allegedly crossed private properties and climbed over the perimeter fences of two detached villas in an attempt to escape.
Officers eventually caught up with him, but police said he resisted arrest. A conducted-energy device, commonly known as a Taser, was used to subdue him before he was taken into custody.
The arrested man was identified by police sources as Polish, although this detail was not included in the Local Police’s public account of the incident.
Both officers received medical treatment at Torrevieja Hospital. Their injuries were subsequently described as minor, despite the violence of the collision and the extensive damage sustained by their patrol car.
The Guardia Civil Traffic Unit took responsibility for managing vehicles on the N-332 because it is a state-owned road. The incident caused alarm among pedestrians and customers at the numerous restaurants and bars situated alongside this busy section of the highway.
Orihuela Local Police did not initially release information about Sunday’s incident. Further details were published through the force’s social media account approximately 24 hours later.
The force praised the officers for continuing the pursuit after the crash, saying their response demonstrated determination and a commitment to preventing the suspect from escaping.
The episode follows several other serious incidents handled by Orihuela Local Police in recent weeks. These have included assisting a worker suffering from a heavily bleeding arm, arresting an intoxicated driver accused of crashing into a vehicle carrying a family, and temporarily closing part of the coastline.
Information about those operations has largely been released through police social media accounts rather than through Orihuela City Council’s official communications channels.
