A 41-year-old man remains in police custody after allegedly stealing a massive earthmover and embarking on a destructive two-and-a-half hour journey through Wolverhampton while suspected of drink-driving.
The Bulldozer Chase Captured on Camera
The extraordinary incident unfolded on Saturday, November 8, when West Midlands Police received reports of a stolen 24-tonne bulldozer, believed to be taken from a Staffordshire quarry. Officers were alerted to the vehicle crossing into Wolverhampton shortly before 5:40pm.
Local resident Charlene Harris captured the dramatic scenes on video while outside the Merry Boys Inn pub for a cigarette. Her footage shows the construction vehicle being driven aggressively along Willenhall Road toward the Cleveland Arms pub.
"Gonna go through him. He's gone through the bush. He's moving the wagon," Harris can be heard saying in her running commentary as the bulldozer approaches a lorry that had been parked across the road in an attempt to stop it.
Police Struggle to Halt Destructive Journey
The bulldozer caused significant damage to road surfaces and street furniture including metal barriers during its extended rampage. Police made multiple attempts to stop the vehicle as it tore through the city.
At one point, a Royal Mail lorry was positioned across Willenhall Road as a barrier, but the bulldozer simply pushed it aside and continued on the wrong side of the road before crossing to the correct carriageway.
"They tried with a big wagon and they can't even do it with that," Harris commented in her video. "It bulldozed straight through it."
Arrest and Multiple Charges
The destructive journey finally ended at 8:15pm on New Road in Willenhall, approximately two and a half hours after police first became involved. The route taken by the stolen earthmover included Bridgnorth Road, Compton Road West, and even the A4150 dual carriageway.
West Midlands Police confirmed the 41-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of numerous offences including drink-driving, dangerous driving, theft, and using threatening or abusive language.
A police spokesperson stated: "We've arrested a man after a 24-tonne earthmover was stolen and driven through Wolverhampton city centre. He remains in custody while our enquiries continue."
The man also faces additional allegations of failing to stop, taking a conveyance without consent, and making threats to damage or destroy property.
