A Russian teenager has been apprehended after he stole an asphalt roller not once but twice in a single day causing a series of car wrecks.

According to the regional police, the incident happened in the city of Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk which is the administrative centre of Russia’s Sakhalin Oblast, located on Sakhalin Island on the night of 19th July.

The first time it happened when the 18-year-old had stolen the road roller but after travelling only 100 metres (328 feet), he collided with a Toyota Mark II and then fled the scene.

The traffic police returned the stolen roller to its original location, but the young man returned in the evening and stole it again.

The second time the theft was reported by the foreman of the private construction company that owned it and was using it for a roadbuilding project in the area.

Investigations revealed that the second time the thief drove a little over a kilometre before colliding with a car on Sakhalinskaya Street.

Without stopping, he abandoned the stolen roller, which continued moving and subsequently crashed into another vehicle, causing more damage.

Upon arriving at the scene of the accident, law enforcement found eyewitnesses and a traffic police crew already present after being called by the vehicle owners.

Video footage from surveillance cameras identified the main suspect and other individuals who had previously come to the attention of the authorities.

The 18-year-old has been taken into custody by the Russian Ministry of Internal Affairs in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for further investigation.