A high-speed police chase in Palma on Saturday morning ended when the driver collided with a guardrail at a roundabout in Son Ferriol and turned the car over.
At around 9.20, a National Police patrol was checking a car on Camí La Milana near to the Son Banya shanty town. Officers stopped another car that was being driven at high speed. There were six people in the car and they all appeared to be drunk. But rather than park, the driver sped off. The officers had to take evasive action to prevent being run over.
The chase ended when the car crashed. The driver and two passengers ran off but were soon intercepted. The driver tested positive for alcohol and drugs.
The car, it turned out, belonged to a car-hire firm. It was having some work done to it by another company, where the driver works. He had taken the car, he told police, "to go partying with friends". He was arrested and charged with a crime against road safety, vehicle theft and having attempted to run over the police officers.