Police were left chasing their own patrol car after a man stole it and sped off, video shows

• Police in Wales chased a man on foot after responding to reports of a car driving dangerously.
• While being chased, the man jumped into a vacant patrol car and drove away, police said.

A police chase in Wales took an unexpected turn when the man being pursued stole a vacant police vehicle and drove away in it.

The driver then crashed into the side of the road as officers chased him down country lanes, a video shows:

Gwent Police responded to several reports of a car driving dangerously in Graig Y-Rhacca, a small town in southeastern Wales, on Saturday evening.

Officers located the car and began to pursue the driver on foot, Gwent Police said in a statement provided to Insider by email.

While running after the driver, he jumped into a patrol car and sped off, police said. It was unclear how he was able to get in the car and drive it.

Dramatic dashcam footage shared on TikTok and reported by BBC News appears to show officers chasing after the driver.

The stolen police vehicle swerves off the road, the video shows, with a photograph appearing to show later damage to the front of the vehicle.

Police said the car was stopped in Draethen, Newport, about a 10-minute drive away from Graig Y-Rhacca.

A 19-year-old man was arrested, police said. He was later charged with aggravated vehicle taking, dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while under the influence of drink or drugs, driving with no insurance, assault, and criminal damage.

Another man, 22, was arrested on suspicion of dangerous driving, failing to stop for police, driving while under the influence of drugs, criminal damage, among other charges. He was later released on bail, police said.