Wauchope power outage connected to alleged car thief, police say

Parts of Wauchope found themselves without power last week. Police have since traced the outage and believe they have solved the mystery of how it happened.

Parts of Wauchope found themselves without power on Thursday.

Police have since traced the outage back to a car accident involving an allegedly stolen vehicle.

After the crash, it took police only about an hour to track down the suspect.

According to police, at about 3am last Wednesday, the owner of a Mitsubishi Triton heard someone trying to start the engine of their vehicle.

They ran outside and saw the ute being driven off.

Around 9am the following day, the stolen vehicle was being driven southbound on Beechwood Road, Wauchope, when the accused lost control while navigating a bend in the road.

Police allege the vehicle dramatically collided with a large power pole along the northern kerb of Beechwood Rd, causing the pole to split.

After the collision, it’s believed the driver and his passenger exited the vehicle and walked away.

The alleged offender is set to appear in Port Macquarie Local Court next week.

One NSW Ambulance road crew attended, but no treatment was provided since the driver and passenger had fled the scene.

Police later received information the accused had entered a location in High Street, Wauchope.

About 10.15am, local officers attended that address where they found the suspect in the main bedroom.

He was arrested and taken to Port Macquarie Police Station where he was entered into custody.

He has been charged, bail refused and will appear in Port Macquarie Local Court on Wednesday, July 20.