Pairs, Jan. 11--- An armored   car robbery last night ended in a wild gunbattle that two men dead and a hostage   seriously wounded. The drama   began when an armored car carrying the contents of safety boxes to a bank was struck by a large truck, police said. The bank guards were helpless when the robbers jumped out of the truck and tied them. The robbers used heavy tools and explosives   to break the armored car. A passing police car turned to look into the accident as the men were removing the contents of the armored car. Police said the three robbers fled on foot across a nearby highway. Stopping a private car driven by a teenaged girl, the three escaped for central Pairs with the police car in hot pursuit . A plain clothes policeman saw the car as it drove through the street of Lat in Quarter. The policeman tried to stop the car, but the thieves started shooting at him, witness   said. The girl hostage tried to slip away. Just as she was crawling   away from the car, she was hit by a bullet. Police said she was out of danger at Central Hospital. The gunmen gave up the car and got into a shop, pouring fire on more than 50 policemen that surrounded the building. After a wild gunbattle, police broke into the room. They only found two of the gunmen, both seriously wounded. The third thief was believed to have escaped with over $1.3 million in cash and jewellery. The three robbers escaped on foot across a nearby highway because  _  .
a passing police car found them . the explosives were too strong . the contents of the armored car were too heavy . the truck broke down .