Grafton’s wildest police chases

From five kids on a joy ride in a hot Falcon to a 4WD that roared past a wedding party - Grafton has had its fair share of police pursuits. We reveal some of the wildest ones.

When it comes to pursuits, Grafton police are in pole position to bring down a target.

There’s been some epic hunts just in the past decade - mostly involving vehicles (surprisingly a number of 4WDs), but also some foot chases.

Today we look back at some of the pursuits which attracted significant public interest.

Pajero driver buzzed wedding party

Police said the 4WD continued travelling at speeds in excess of 100kph, at one point driving through a crowded Grafton District Services Club car park.

January 2013: Police were cruising past the Village Green Hotel late in the afternoon when they spotted a Mitsubishi Pajero speeding off in the opposite direction.

The Pajero turned left onto Turf St and by the time police came around the corner it had already hooked onto Bacon St.

Police said the 4WD continued travelling at speeds in excess of 100kph, at one point driving through a crowded Grafton District Services Club car park.

The chase also roared past a wedding party being held close to the roadside.

The game was up though in Course St, where police caught up with the driver and patted him down - finding five grams of cannabis.

The 42-year-old driver was sentenced to nine months’ jail over the pursuit and drug possession.

Five kids, a hot Falcon and a carjacking

Richmond Police District Inspector Nicole Bruce briefing the media after a chase from Grafton to Ballina.

January 2020: When three boys and two girls set off for a joy ride it captured the nation’s attention with a marathon police pursuit from Grafton to Ballina.

Richmond Police District Chief Inspector Nicole Bruce said police were initially alerted to a stolen purple Ford Falcon south of Grafton.

“Two pursuits occurred with that vehicle which were terminated by police due to the dangerous driving,” Chief Insp Bruce said.

“About half an hour later, we co-ordinated a site at Wardell to attempt to stop the vehicle.

“There was a successful deployment of spikes however the vehicle continued at approximately 180kph where again, police terminated the pursuit.”

The five youths, reportedly all from the Brisbane area, were forced to think again after the hot Falcon was undone by road spikes.

“At Wardell, when the vehicle was spiked, it was cornered by some vehicles there and the stolen vehicle deliberately reversed into a car and caused an accident,” Chief Insp Bruce said.

“That’s when a (white) ute stopped to help and that vehicle was stolen.

“The occupant was pushed away, and four occupants jumped in the car and drove off.”

The remaining juvenile was arrested at the Wardell crash site but the other four escaped in the ute and continued to travel north before taking the Lismore highway exit, where the vehicle crashed due to high speed.

“Once they crashed at the intersection of the Bruxner and Pacific highways, they attempted to hijack a further car however that was unsuccessful, and they’ve decamped into cane fields there where police cordoned them off and apprehended the remaining four,” Chief Insp Bruce said.

“It was excellent work by police to be able to stop and take these youths off the street because it would have ended up as a fatality at some point.”

HiLux havoc on Bent Street

The suspect continued through the Villiers and Pound streets roundabouts towards the new Grafton bridge where he undertook several vehicles before mounting a concrete divider.

February 2020: A South Grafton man who stole a friend’s ute in Raymond Terrace and drove to Grafton in order to comply with court orders, then led police on a series of “immensely dangerous and reckless” pursuits.

The 24-year-old copped a 12-month jail sentence after pleading guilty to charges of police pursuit, drive recklessly in manner dangerous, possess prohibited weapon, possess prohibited drug, take and drive conveyance without consent of owner and two counts of resist officer in execution of duty.

According to police facts, on December 13, 2019, the man was staying with a friend at Raymond Terrace and they travelled together to a nearby golf club.

When the friend went to a meeting, the man took the keys to the black Toyota HiLux without permission and drove away.

The victim reported the vehicle stolen.

The next day the suspect visited his mother at South Grafton and asked for petrol money, however she refused.

At 3.30pm police were contacted after the vehicle was spotted near Hungry Jacks, and an hour later at Corcoran Park.

Police attempted to stop the HiLux as it travelled south on Villiers St, however it sped off at more than 100kph in a 50 zone and a pursuit was initiated.

The Toyota hit speeds of 120kph and was being driven erratically, at times on the wrong side of the road, when police disengaged the pursuit.

The suspect continued through the Villiers and Pound streets roundabouts towards the new Grafton bridge where he undertook several vehicles before mounting a concrete divider and went onto the wrong side of the road.

An hour later police were patrolling South Grafton when the HiLux was spotted swerving in and out of traffic on Iolanthe St.

A police request to re-engage a pursuit was denied, and the Toyota was seen on the wrong side of the road on Bent St, causing vehicles to take evasive action to avoid collisions before the man fled at speeds of up to 120kph through South Grafton and onto Rushforth Rd.

On December 15 police attended a South Grafton property where the man was taken into custody after a short struggle.

Grafton of course doesn’t have a mortgage on police chases, as there’s been plenty of noteworthy ones a little farther afield.

Driver said sex worker egged him on

Officers sat behind the Toyota along Terranora Road but terminated the pursuit when the car crossed to the wrong side of the road.

March 2021: A Banora Point man led police on a car chase when they approached him while he was using the services of a sex worker.

According to court documents, the man came to police attention just before midnight on March 3 when a member of the public stated she could hear whistling, and saw a car driving around suspiciously on Marinas Crescent and Old Ferry Road in Banora Point.

Police found the Toyota HiLux on Commodore Court and began to follow when it accelerated up Old Ferry Road and onto Terranora Road.

Police activated warning devices signalling for the HiLux to pull over, but it kept going, initially at the posted speed limit, before crossing to the wrong side of the road, and travelling at 80kph in a 60 zone.

Officers sat behind the Toyota along Terranora Road but terminated the pursuit when the car crossed to the wrong side of the road as rain became heavier.

Two days later police attended the man’s home and found the HiLux parked out front.

When police interviewed him, he said he knew they had lights and sirens activated but didn’t pull over, stating he had “a brain snap”.

He denied being under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

When questioned why he was down by the river, he said he was with a female sex worker in a secluded area and she had been in the car during the pursuit and had egged him on not to pull over.

The man pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to engaging in a police pursuit.

He was convicted and sentenced to a two-year community correction order and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Burnout attracted attention

The driver told police she was just going for a drive with her friend and when the police tried to stop her she got scared.

May 2022: A Tweed Heads teenager found herself in a police chase after performing a burnout in front of plain clothes cops.

The 18-year-old pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to prolonged loss of traction, police pursuit, speeding over 30kph and custody of a knife.

Police said the woman was seen driving on Lakes Drive and Sunset Boulevard on May 7 at about 11pm until she reached a dead end at the boat ramp.

In front of plain clothes police in an unmarked vehicle, she began to rev the Ford Falcon’s engine and did a 180-degree turn burnout.

Police activated warning lights on Gollan Drive but the Falcon sped up and onto Kennedy Drive, reaching speeds of 110kph in a 50 zone, then running a red light on Limosa Road.

The driver eventually stopped after turning onto Recreation Street.

At the time, another woman was in the passenger seat.

Police found two 20cm knives in the car which checks showed were unregistered.

The driver told police she was just going for a drive with her friend and when the police tried to stop her she got scared.

The woman was convicted and sentenced to a 12-month community corrections order and disqualified from driving for 12 months.

Street race ended in court

Driving on a multi-laned road, the Volkswagen was in lane four of four, police were in lane three, and the other car in lane two.

January 2022: A Tweed Heads man wrote in a letter he “should have just pulled over” after a street race turned into a police pursuit.

The 20-year-old pleaded guilty in Tweed Heads Local Court to speed exceeding 20kph, speed exceeding 45kph and police pursuit aggravated by not stopping and driving dangerously.

Late on the night of January 2 the man and another person were travelling in separate vehicles on Minjungbal Dr when they braked heavily before a fixed speed camera.

The pair appeared unaware an unmarked police car was nearby.

The driver of a Volkswagen Polo turned left onto Sextons Hill Drive and was seen travelling between 90kph and 100kph in the 60 zone.

Driving on a multi-laned road, the Volkswagen was in lane four of four, police were in lane three, and the other car in lane two.

Police activated lights signally for both to stop.

But the VW accelerated onto Terranora Rd, travelling at 100kph in a 50 zone, overtaking other vehicles.

A pursuit began with police recording a top speed of up to 120kp in a 60 zone.

Police lost sight of the VW near Mahers Ln and stopped the pursuit before attending the driver’s home.

The defence told the court the young man had written a letter of apology to the police involved in the pursuit to show his remorse.

The man was sentenced to a two-year community corrections order with 100 hours of community service, disqualified from driving for 18 months and fined $200.