Wild drivers fleeing police putting Melbourne public at risk
Drivers on the run from police are posing extreme danger to Melbourne motorists. The Sunday Herald Sun obtained detailed documents outlining the risks posed by the rogue road-users.
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Wild drivers speeding at more than 200km/h, throwing fireworks at police, armed with guns and wielding iron bars have been detailed in a shocking catalogue of police pursuit files.
The Sunday Herald Sun used Freedom of Information to obtain detailed documents which outline the risks posed by the rogue road-users.
They include cases in which:
A DRIVER was monitored and pursued for hundreds of kilometres through western Victoria.
A COUPLE sped off at up to 170km/h in a 50km/h zone after police were called over reports they were having sex in the vehicle.
A TEENAGE L-plater rocketing along at 150km/h in metropolitan Melbourne.
A VESPA with rider and pillion passenger pursued at up to 110km/h in the eastern suburbs.
POLICE were rammed by motorists bent on escape.
WEAPONS and drugs were found when cars were eventually stopped.
VEHICLES were driven at more than 200km/h in Melbourne.
Summaries of dozens of the pursuits from all over Victoria are today published at heraldsun.com.au
In one of many alarming cases, two vehicles were involved in a chain of crimes, multiple car thefts and a pursuit in the south-eastern suburbs in March this year
The owner of a stolen Holden Colorado was able to track his vehicle using a mobile phone he had left inside.
It was used in a burglary before being set alight in Rowville.
Those on board then jumped into a Blue Holden Commodore which had been seen at an earlier burglary in Devon Meadows.
A police helicopter monitored the Commodore until it was dumped at a football ground in Hampton Park where the offenders were collected by a dark Mitsubishi Triton.
It was then driven to Carrum Down where it was involved in a car accident before the three men pulled a rifle and menaced drivers stuck at red lights.
They then stole a blue Ford utility and a police pursuit was called.
The group in the ute then sped to Cranbourne where they collided with two cars, bolted and were quickly arrested.
In another chase in the Shepparton suburb of Kialla on January 12 a driver fleeing police after 10 victims reported having their cars rammed waved an iron bar out the window before he was eventually arrested.
Fireworks were thrown at police from a car evading officers at Geelong on February 10.
Officers were forced to abort a pursuit on the Bellarine Highway when the car veered on to the wrong side of the road.
It was earlier involved in four hit-runs.
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Despite the extraordinary nature of many of the cases gathered under FoI, the rate of pursuits has been in sharp decline for years.
In the first half of this year, there were 150, a rate of just under six per week.
In 2015, there were 1297 for the full year, representing an average of 25 a week.
Assistant Commissioner for road policing Stephen Leane said a review of the force’s pursuit policy in 2015 had led to a decline in the number of chases.
Mr Leane said he would not discuss specific elements of the policy because this could compromise methodology and public safety.
“However, the community can be assured that police continue to use various other methods to being drivers to account without risking the safety of other road-users,” he said.