Peat entrepreneur catches suspected fuel thief after violent chase in Alavus

A business owner working on a peat production site in Alavus was seriously injured on Monday evening after a suspected fuel thief deliberately rammed his car into a van and an ATV, Finnish public broadcaster Yle reports.

Police later apprehended the suspect—found hiding in a cold storage shed—after a two-hour search involving a police dog. The man is now under investigation for attempted manslaughter, theft, aggravated endangerment of traffic safety, drunk driving, and driving without a license.

According to the police account, the incident began around 9 pm when the peat entrepreneur arrived at the production area on Pykälistöntie to inspect his machinery. He noticed an unknown man near his equipment, later discovered to be siphoning fuel. A second worker arrived on an ATV, and together they confronted the thief, informing him that authorities had been called.

The suspect then entered his car, reversed roughly 100 meters, and accelerated directly into the van and ATV in an attempt to escape. The driver of the van sustained serious injuries, and both vehicles were severely damaged. When the suspect’s car failed to restart after the collision, he fled on foot.

Emergency services and police arrived at the scene shortly after. With the assistance of a police dog, officers located the suspect hiding in a nearby storage shed two hours later.