Driver clings on in open boot as carjackers speed off

The 62-year-old clung on in the open boot as the joyriders sped through the city for three and a half miles,

He even managed to pull his mobile phone from his pocket and make a 999 call as the car careered through the streets at speeds of up to 70mph.

The carjackers sped on regardless, with the Vauxhall Astra up on two wheels, crashing into parked vehicles.

His journey of terror only came to an end when the pair abandoned the car in Craigmillar.

But his ordeal was not over. The sudden halt slammed the boot shut, trapping him inside until a passer-by heard his shouts and came to his rescue.

The Evening News reported last week how teenage joyriders had stolen a car as a man was unloading the boot – but it has only now emerged that the man, who has asked to remain anonymous, was inside the boot as the car was driven off.

The two joyriders leapt into the Astra – a company fleet car – as the man was preparing to hand it over to a colleague.

But before they could drive off, he jumped inside to try to stop them and so the terrifying journey began.

The speeding car smashed into a series of parked motors and even ended up on two wheels – while the 62-year-old clung on for dear life in the open boot.

The man’s shaken wife said: “He nearly fell out . . . it’s  unbelievable.”

Officers are now are appealing for witnesses to the incident, which took place at Lochend Road on Friday, October 26 at 8.40am – as children made their way to a nearby school – to contact them.

The driver of the car – who is believed to have been called Chas –raced along Lochend Road, Smokey Brae and along Duddingston Road West, colliding with other vehicles and speeding through red lights, as the victim – who was describing his whereabouts to the police by phone – clung on.

The victim’s 49-year-old wife said: “My husband was clearing out the boot before he handed the car over.

“One of the guys jumped in to the passenger side and the other one got in the driver seat.

“When the engine started the doors automatically locked, so my husband jumped in to the boot to try and stop them getting away. He was in there the whole time.

“The car was colliding with other vehicles – at one point it struck another vehicle and it was up on two wheels. After that, the car wouldn’t go very fast so they decided to dump it.”

The Astra was abandoned on Craigmillar Castle Avenue near Castlebrae High with the victim inside the boot.

“Someone nearby heard my husband shouting, took the keys out of the ignition and got my husband out. The guys who took the car just ran away,” said the man’s wife.

The victim of the crime, whose shoulder was hurt during the ordeal, was left shaken.

Police say the carjackers put the lives of other motorists and pedestrians in grave danger during the rampage.

Condemning the culprits, officers said it was a miracle someone was not killed. It is understood the car remains in the possession of the police.

The victim’s wife said: “They had been standing across the door before they stole the car, they must have been discussing what they were going to do.

“It’s just unbelievable that something like this could happen right in front of your nose.”

It is estimated the damage caused to a number of parked cars they hit will run into  thousands of pounds.

The suspects are described as being white and in their mid-teens. One wore a black long-sleeved T-shirt, while the other wore a white T-shirt.

A police spokesman said: “Officers have been conducting local inquiries and speaking with the vehicle owners, whose cars were involved in collisions with the Astra to establish the identity of the suspects.

“We are also keen to hear from members of the public who were on Lochend Road on Friday morning or anyone who remembers seeing the vehicle as it made its way towards Craigmillar Castle Avenue.”