A driver in Belfast swiped some petrol at 7:30 a.m. By rush hour, Irish police were hunting the gas thief down as if he’d held up a bank at gunpoint. Police had his car’s license plate. They had the address on his registration. But instead of knocking on his door, they turned south Belfast into a scene from Grand Theft Auto.

The suspect filled up at a Lurgan petrol station, then bolted without paying. A quiet morning crime—until police spotted his maroon Toyota compact at 4:30 p.m., cruising down Moira Road toward Lisburn. Officers lit up their lights and signaled for him to pull over but he gunned it. The police called in reinforcements. The chase was on.

Irish police cause rush-hour madness, for a gas thief

The driver tore down the Hillhall Road, weaving through traffic. Police interceptors—a fleet of BMW wagons—joined the hunt. The roads clogged as rush hour peaked, but the suspect didn’t let up.

Inspector Carey later confirmed, “A pursuit ensued on the Hillhall Road towards the Belvoir Road, Belfast before the vehicle was involved in a collision.” But that was putting it lightly.

On the Upper Malone Road, the Toyota met its match: a Volvo caught in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two cars slammed together. The Toyota spun, tires screeching, and smashed into a low wall surrounding a park.

The Irish gas thief busted at last

The crash should’ve been the end of it. But police weren’t taking chances. A police interceptor driver pulled up hard against the Toyota’s fender, boxing it in.

Officers surrounded the wreckage. No more running. The suspect was yanked from the driver’s seat and cuffed. “A 44-year-old man was arrested on a number of driving offences and remains in custody at this time,” police confirmed.

Was the chase worth it?

There are two sides to the story. Stealing from a gas station isn’t a victimless crime. Even though gas companies are huge, multinational corporations, many stations are locally owned franchises. These are small businesses with owners struggling to stay afloat. So the police certainly should have investigated the theft.

That said, the police had the suspect’s details from the moment he skipped the bill. They could’ve knocked on his door that evening, warrant in hand. Instead, they turned the investigation into a high-speed free-for-all, risking lives in the process. And the Volvo driver? Just a regular bloke heading home, now dealing with a smashed car because of someone else’s recklessness. Luckily, no one was killed.

And what about the Irish gas thief? The guy stole petrol, dodged cops for hours, wrecked a random Volvo, and still got arrested. Maybe next time, he’ll just pay for the fuel. Or at least stop when he sees blue lights.