Nelson Tuitavake, 23, of Dee Why: Arrest warrant after 160km/h run from cops

Cops are hunting for a driver who led them on a 160km/h chase though northern Sydney, then failed to turn up to court to answer a string of serious charges.

Police are hunting a driver who led police on a dramatic 160kmh chase through northern Sydney that ended in a collision with another car.

Manly Local Court has ordered an arrest warrant be issued for Nelson Alamona Tuitavake, 23, after he failed to turn up on Wednesday to answer eight charges over the early morning high-speed pursuit on March 18.

Magistrate Robyn Denes convicted the part-time carpenter from Dee Why, in his absence, on all the charges including the three most serious: police pursuit — not stop — drive dangerously; goods in custody suspected of being stolen and; custody of a knife in a public place.

Ms Denes issued the warrant so police could arrest Tuitavake and bring him to court to be sentenced.

An arrest warrant was issued by Manly Loval Court after Nelson Alamona Tuitavake failed to turn up to answer charged related to a 160km/h police pursuit through the north shore and northern beaches. Picture: Picture: Monique Harmer

Tuitavake was granted bail after his arrest and was supposed to be reporting to Dee Why police station each day as part of his bail conditions.

But the court was told that he had not been to the police station since March 27.

In a police facts sheet tendered to court, police stated that when they were patrolling the Pacific Highway at Roseville at 12.10am on March 18, the automatic number plate recognition computer in their car identified the blue Mazda sedan being driven by Tuitavake as being involved in “drug offences”.

The police did a U-turn and followed the Mazda to the intersection of the highway and Boundary Rd at Roseville. After the car turned left into Boundary Rd, the police turned on their blue lights, but the Mazda sped away at about 12.14am.

Police said they followed the car that was doing speeds up to 160km/h in a 60km/h zone and changing lanes multiple times.

It blasted through a red light at the intersection of Babbage Rd and Clive St “without slowing down”, the facts sheet stated.

The Mazda then tore onto the Roseville Bridge on Warringah Rd at 130 km/h before hitting 150km/h as it belted towards Forestville.

At the corner of Warringah and Currie roads at Forestville, Tuitavake tried to do a U-turn at a set of traffic lights and collided with a Holden Jackaroo 4WD with two people aboard travelling in the opposite direction. They received minor injuries.

Police said he then jumped from the wrecked Mazda and sprinted into Cook St, where officers lost sight of him.

Manly Local Court heard that Nelson Tuitavake reached speeds of 160km/h in a 60km/h zone while trying to flee from police. Picture: Monique Harmer

Minutes later they found him hiding in the front yard of a house, lying flat on the driveway next to a parked car.

When he was searched police found a credit card, issued in another person’s name as well as “green vegetable” matter in his pocket and two pink capsules in a bag.

A search of the driveway revealed a 10cm blade.

Magistrate Denes convicted him of all eight offences. She fined him $100 each for going through a red light; not give way to a vehicle at traffic lights; doing a U-turn at traffic lights; not give particulars to another driver after an accident and: fail to stop after accident.

A Legal Aid solicitor said she had not heard from Tuitavake on Wednesday.