Matthew Jacob fronts court over a stack of driving charges

An out-of-control unlicensed driver rammed into police cars and other vehicles and barrelled through red lights during a horrifying 20-minute road mayhem during morning peak traffic.

Meth addict Matthew Jacob led police on a 20-minute chase through Melbourne's south eastern suburbs in a stolen car as horrified motorists and members of the public looked on.

An unlicensed driver rammed six vehicles including two cop cars, barrelled through red lights and drove through pedestrian and train tracks during morning rush hour police chase.

Matthew Jacob, 26, stole a Holden Colorado on October 25, 2023 and a day later, officers in a highway patrol car at St Kilda attempted to stop him about 7.20am.

Horrified motorists and members of the public looked on as Jacob drove at speed through red lights and intersections, across bicycle lanes and pedestrian walking tracks, and on to train tracks.

Police unsuccessfully attempted to ram the Holden Colorado twice and the mayhem only stopped after Jacob slammed the stolen vehicle into a tree in Brighton just before 8am.

Matthew Jacob’s mayhem on the road only ended after he slammed the stolen vehicle into a tree in Brighton.

He fronted the County Court on Friday when he was sentenced to a minimum of two years’ imprisonment on a number of driving charges.

“This is entirely unwarranted. It’s entirely unacceptable, Mr Jacob, that emergency workers are exposed to such volatile situations in the course of their employment,” Judge Nola Karapanagiotidis said.

She said Jacob presented an extreme danger, not only to police officers, but to other motorists and road users who have had to take evasive action to avoid being hit during a bust time on the roads.

After slamming into a tree, Jacob ran down a dead-end street and was arrested. He told police he had consumed ice prior to getting behind the wheel.