A stolen van was rammed to a halt by police after allegedly being driven the wrong way along the A20 during a dramatic 17-mile pursuit from Kent into London.
The incident began after a van was reported stolen from an address in Swanscombe at around 2.55pm on Sunday.
Kent Police said a man allegedly smashed a window before taking the vehicle.
Officers later located the van in the London Road area of Swanley at around 6.45pm, but the driver allegedly failed to stop and headed towards London.
The pursuit continued along the A20, where witnesses reported seeing the van being driven against the flow of traffic.
Motorists described frightening near misses as the vehicle travelled towards oncoming traffic, with some saying they were forced to take evasive action to avoid a head-on collision.
Met Police join pursuit
Metropolitan Police units joined the operation after the pursuit crossed into London.
The van was eventually brought to a halt using tactical contact on Mottingham Road at around 7.40pm.
Pictures from the aftermath showed the vehicle in a precarious position following the collision, surrounded by a significant police presence.
One witness told the UKNIP “It sounded like an air raid was about to kick off. Never seen so many police cars before.”
Suspect arrested after foot chase
Police said the driver left the van and attempted to escape on foot following the collision.
Officers pursued him and a 23-year-old man from Swanley was arrested a short time later.
He was detained on suspicion of aggravated vehicle taking, criminal damage, dangerous driving, driving while disqualified and failing to stop for police.
He remained in police custody at the time of the latest update.
A Metropolitan Police officer suffered a hand injury during the incident and was taken to hospital for treatment. He has since been discharged.
No other serious injuries were reported.
The investigation into the theft and subsequent pursuit remains ongoing.
