Fleeced Fugitives
Fleeced Fugitives
In the country of New Zealand where sheep outnumber people, you have to imagine the residents get a bit restless from time to time. And while they say “out of boredom comes brilliance,” for four Queensland youths — two 14-year old teenagers and two young men, aged 19 and 23 — having too much idle time on their hands didn’t pan out so constructively.
After deciding a joyride would be the perfect way to add some excitement to a slow, January afternoon, the four succeeded in attracting the attention of a few area officers who noticed the speeding vehicle was missing its plates. However, when they attempted to pull the car over, the young fugitives refused to comply.
Over the course of 90 minutes, the foursome led police on a high-speed chase, evading capture long after they’d blown through flashing lights, deflated one of the car’s tires on a set of road spikes and even after several other police cars joined the hot pursuit.
The crew might have gotten away if it weren’t for the intervention of some of New Zealand’s most popular citizens. After an hour and a half of reckless maneuvering, the chase came to an abrupt end when a flock of over 150 sheep blocked the car’s remaining escape route.
The herd just happened to be at the right place at the right time as the farmer was helping move the sheep to a new grazing location across the road, creating the fortuitous “road flock.” And to sweeten the story with an added twist of irony, the flock also happened to belong to one of the Queensland-area police officers.
While the four were arrested on counts of reckless driving and gas-related thefts, it’s important to note none of the crime-fighting sheep suffered any injuries during the dramatic capture.
