Pakenham car park crasher chased terrified driver along Princes Highway for five suburbs after he reported minor bingle to police
A road rager caused a bingle at Beacon Lighting’s carpark in Pakenham, but got all dark when the other driver said he was reporting the crash to cops. He then chased the man through the southeast suburbs with his crazy mates.
South East
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A road rager who crashed his ute into another vehicle in a Pakenham carpark and then chased a terrified victim through five suburbs has faced court.
Cody Jackson Collis was angry because the other driver reported the bingle to cops.
The Pakenham 22-year-old bricklayer then followed him, repeatedly bumping the back of the scared man’s car as Collis’ mates hung out his ute’s windows while wielded a baseball bat.
Collis faced Dandenong Magistrates’ Court on Monday to ask for a sentence indication over a series of driving, drugs and bail and court order breach charges.
The court heard a dispute started in the Beacon Lighting car park in Pakenham at around 4.50pm on June 20 this year.
Collis had caused a minor collision with a parked vehicle, and when the victim saw what had happened, he asked to exchange details.
Collis refused, became abusive and spat on the man’s Jeep.
The victim drove to the police station 400m away to report it and Collis followed, waiting outside as the man made a statement.
After the man left Collis then pursued him along the Princes Highway.
The victim saw he was being followed and was talking to police on his hands-free phone as he was chased through Pakenham, Officer, Beaconsfield, Berwick and Narre Warren.
Several times during the journey Collis pulled up behind the man’s car and forcefully nudged its rear.
He would also drive alongside the man’s car while his passengers swung a baseball bat at the victim’s vehicle.
Collis was still chasing the man when cops pulled him over and he was finally arrested and remanded.
He also admitted evading police and possessing ice in March this year, towing an unregistered trailer in May and bail and community correction order breaches.
Collis’ defence lawyer said he was drug-affected, having taken Xanax, when he made the “highly irresponsible decision” to follow the man.
She said he would plead guilty to the driving charges but disputed the police summary which stated on one occasion Collis had wielded the bat, saying it was the passengers who had swung it.
Magistrate Andrew Halse said it would have been a very terrifying experience for the victim, regardless of who held the weapon.
“His actions were terrorising another motorist at speed with a baseball bat being slammed into a victim’s car,” Mr Halse said.
“The fact someone else may have been using the bat, I don’t think it changes things much.”
Collis has already spent 53 days in custody.
The case was stood down for Mr Halse to read reports and another video link to be rescheduled.
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