A MAN who was allegedly driving a car full of stolen goods which collided with a cement truck in the Adelaide Hills on Thursday hid in a wood shed for several hours before he was found.
Police are investigating if the car, containing three men and a woman, is linked to break-ins at businesses at Stirling, Coromandel Valley, Meadows and Oakbank.
Stolen items, including wine, spirits, soft drink, items of clothing, a hose and a vehicle jack, were recovered from the car after it slammed into the truck at the intersection of Battunga and Meadows roads at Meadows about 6am.
The driver escaped the vehicle, leaving behind two other men and a woman who were later taken to hospital with minor injuries.
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READ NOWThe truck driver was also treated at the scene for shock.
Police say they believe speed was a factor in the crash and they have not ruled out the impact of drugs or alcohol.
A widescale search in the Meadows region was launched for the driver, who was injured in the crash, after he fled the scene.
The police helicopter and dog unit were called in to help track the man’s escape route over paddocks and fences.
He was found just before 1pm hiding in a woodshed of a Rowley Rd home, about 1km from the crash site.
The owner of the property said he had arrived home from work and found police searching the area.
Paramedics treated the man at the scene before he was taken to hospital for treatment.
The man, 26, of Mitchell Park, was later arrested and is expected to face several charges.
Hills-Fleurieu Police officer in charge Superintendent Craig Wall said the occupants of the car were known to police.
“Police also received reports of break ins into businesses at Stirling, Coromandel Valley, Meadows and Oakbank,” he said.
“We are investigating links between the vehicle and the break-ins.
“Those people in the car were very lucky to be alive.”
