Police hunt thieves who injured Doncaster road worker as he clung onto back of speeding truck
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Police have launched a hunt for thieves who injured a Doncaster road worker who was left clinging onto his van as they sped away after stealing it.
The man suffered injuries to his ribs and foot after the two men grabbed the vehicle in the early hours of last Wednesday morning in Kirk Sandall.
A South Yorkshire Police[2] spokesman said: “We were called at 1.22am last Wednesday (5 June) following reports of a vehicle theft in the Kirk Sandall area of Doncaster[3].
Police are hunting thieves who injured a road worker when they attempted to steal his van.
“It is reported that a man was collecting materials from the back of a Ford Transit van when two men came over and stole his vehicle while the victim was still in the back of it.
“The man, who suffered an injury to his ribs and foot, managed to climb out of the vehicle when it came to a stop, with the suspects handing over his mobile phone and house keys before driving off again.
“The van was later recovered in the Kirkhouse Green area of Doncaster, with enquiries ongoing to locate those responsible for the theft.”
She said: “Two men entered his van and drove off, with him clinging on for life.
“As he attempted to exit over the side, they continued to drag him along the road for quarter of a mile.
“They then stopped, got out and hit him with a wheelbrace, leaving him lying on the floor and running over his foot.
“Two fantastic young men stopped and assisted him, until the ambulance and police arrived.
“He attended hospital and by the grace of God only sustained a lot of superficial injuries and cracked ribs.”
It is understood that the worker had been working on a project involving telecoms firm BT Openreach in the area.
A spokesperson for the firm said: “The person impacted in this awful incident is not an Openreach employee, but I can confirm that the incident did take place as traffic management at an Openreach work site was being cleared away for the night.
“All works carried out in the area will now be subject to additional security precautions.
“I hope the person impacted by this crime makes a speedy recovery.”
The spokesperson said: “We would encourage anyone with information about this incident to contact us on 101, quoting incident number 35 of 5 June 2024.
Alternatively, members of the public can also contact UK independent charity CrimeStoppers through their dedicated UK call centre on 0800 555 111.
Information can be reported in confidence without having to leave your details.