But it quickly got much worse as he tried to get away following the crash - because he ran straight into a busload of Dutch special forces soldiers, who promptly wrestled him to the ground and knelt on his back.
The thief had stolen the quad from the farm of Nick Walker in Satley, County Durham on Monday morning. 26-year-old Walker, hearing the quad start up, immediately gave chase on another quad.
The quad chase continued for three miles through the countryside until the thief eventually hit a kerb on the outskirts of the small town of Tow Law and flipped over, wrecking the ?5,500 quad. The thief then tried to get away on foot - only to run into the troop of Dutch paratroopers, on their way to a training exercise in Northumberland.
Four paratroopers rushed over, grabbed the thief, and knelt on his back until the police arrived to arrest him.
Acting Inspector Peter Dawson commented perceptively: 'He would not have expected to run into a group of special forces soldiers.'
'It just wasn't his day,' he added.
The 25-year-old suspect has now been charged with theft and driving without a licence or insurance.
:banaan:
