Luck ran out for two suspected car thieves driving in separate stolen cars when they crashed into each other on the West Coast Road early on Wednesday.
A third motorist smashed into one of the stolen cars, blocking the road, but was not injured.
The accident happened on the road between Melba's-strand and Atlantis.
One of the suspects fled the accident scene and evaded arrest by Flying Squad police who arrived in minutes.
The second suspect, a 26-year-old Atlantis man, who had serious neck and back injuries, was arrested in an ambulance on the scene.
Police said they suspected that the two men had been driving in convoy.
The accident happened at about 5am when the car driving in front, a Toyota Corolla, stolen in Good wood earlier this month, spun out of control when a tyre burst.
Forensic experts were expected to look for fingerprints in the Toyota in a bid to identify the suspect who fled the accident scene.