Melbourne: Two people have been arrested after a dramatic police pursuit involving a stolen car ended when the vehicle crashed into a tree and overturned in Melbourne’s north-east late on Thursday night.
Victoria Police said officers responded to reports of suspicious people loitering on Altona Street in Heidelberg Heights at about 11.40pm. When police arrived, they allegedly saw two people leaving the area in a stolen Kia Rio at high speed.
Officers began following the vehicle as it travelled through Heidelberg West and into Preston. During the pursuit, the 30-year-old female passenger got out of the car in Preston and was arrested without incident.
Police said the 46-year-old male driver continued to flee, driving through Thornbury and Kingsbury before returning to Preston. The vehicle allegedly reached speeds of up to 120km/h before the driver lost control on Gilbert Road, crashing into a tree and flipping the Kia onto its roof.
Emergency services attended the scene and the driver was taken to hospital under police guard with non-life-threatening injuries. He remains in police custody while receiving medical treatment.
Investigators believe the Kia Rio had been stolen from a property in Thomastown prior to the incident. Both the driver and passenger are expected to be interviewed by detectives over the alleged theft and the events leading up to the pursuit.
Police have not yet announced what charges the pair are expected to face. The investigation remains ongoing as detectives work to establish the full circumstances surrounding the incident.
Authorities have appealed to anyone who witnessed the pursuit or has dashcam or CCTV footage from the areas of Heidelberg Heights, Heidelberg West, Preston, Thornbury or Kingsbury around the time of the chase to come forward and assist investigators.
