Delivery driver was hurt trying to stop thief stealing his van as it smashed into cars

A delivery driver has been hospitalised after a desperate attempt to stop a man from stealing his van, it has been confirmed. South Wales Police were called to reports of a crash on Vernon Place in Briton Ferry at round 3pm on Thursday. The crash was between a delivery van and a parked car and it followed an attempted theft of a motor vehicle. The collision resulted in the delivery driver, a 34-year-old man from Bridgend , being taken to hospital with injuries. Witnesses say that the driver of a delivery van momentarily exited his vehicle to make a delivery, when a man allegedly jumped in and tried to steal it. It is then reported that the vehicle was driven around the corner before crashing into a parked black Ford Focus and flipping. The owner of the Ford Focus was bank worker Ben Rogers, who was working from home at the time. He told WalesOnline: "From what I understand, the delivery driver has gone to jump into the window of the van to stop the guy (stealing the vehicle) but he has driven off with him hanging out of the window, and they have come around the corner at a rate of knots and then smashed into my car. "He had become caught under the van, and pulled out from underneath.” A spokesperson for South Wales Police said: "Officers attended a report of a road traffic collision on Vernon Place, Briton Ferry, Neath Port Talbot at around 3.15pm on Thursday, June 4. "The collision, which involved a delivery van and a parked car, followed an attempted theft of a motor vehicle. The collision resulted in the delivery driver, a 34-year-old man from Bridgend, being taken to hospital. "This incident is now under investigation as an aggravated vehicle-taking offence. Officers are reviewing CCTV and dashcam footage in order to identify a suspect. "Anyone who witnessed the incident or who may have information or footage which can assist the investigation is asked to get in touch via 101, quoting 2600175190." Get daily breaking news updates on your phone by joining our WhatsApp community here . We occasionally treat members to special offers, promotions and ads from us and our partners. See our Privacy Notice