Stolen Porsche crash sends Manor Lakes College into lockdown

Students in a school in Melbourne’s southwest were told to hide in classrooms after a stolen Porsche being chased by police crashed nearby and the alleged offenders tried to hide in the school.

Police arrest a man after an allegedly stolen car crashed into Manor Lakes College. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

A Manor Lakes school was placed into lockdown on Tuesday following a police chase through the western suburbs.

A stolen Porsche was reportedly driving erratically near Fraser Rise just before 11am on Tuesday when police began to follow it.

Five occupants then dumped the car on Minindee Rd and fled into the nearby Manor Lakes P-12 College, forcing it into lockdown.

It is understood the Porsche turned right from Minindee Rd into a library carpark before the vehicle screeched to a halt behind a football oval.

The alleged offenders were then seen jumping the fence into the grounds of the adjacent Manor Lakes P-12 College by onlooking students.

Police remove a man from the scene after the school goes into lockdown. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

Year 8 students were studying in the library for an upcoming test that day before all hell broke loose.

One of them said she and her classmates were evacuated from the library and had to quickly find refuge elsewhere after teachers started receiving phone calls about what was unfolding.

“They told us to leave the library because apparently there were no locks ... one teacher was like ‘go into any classroom, it doesn’t matter’,” she said.

The student said her classmates spotted two of the suspects carrying what they believed were firearms.

“They were holding something; it did look like a gun to me.”

“It was scary because the classroom was all glass and the teachers didn’t know what was going on.”

She alleged one of the suspects tried to blend in and hide among students in a classroom but was caught by police.

“One of my friends was talking to somebody who looked like a student and then the police apparently came into their class and apparently the guy said ‘damn it’.”

One of three men police arrested at the scene. Picture: NewsWire/ David Crosling

The lockdown started about 11.15am and lasted up to 105 minutes.

Staff and students hid in classrooms while police helicopters hovered overhead.

Across the street, Shiril Dubey was working at home just metres from the school his daughter attends when the chase unfolded in front of his doorstep.

“It was a horrifying experience for everyone ... there were many parents waiting here to get their children (when it ended).”

“(My daughter) doesn’t have a phone but she grabbed her friend’s phone to call me and say she was safe ... that was relieving.”

He was one of many parents to find out about the incident from their children.

An eyewitness said he saw parents and residents jeer and yell at one of the alleged suspects as he was walked out of the school gates after being apprehended by police.

Three people have been arrested while two remain on the run.

The area is somewhat of an education precinct, with two kindergartens, a library, and a primary school close nearby.

A Department of Education spokesman said school safety procedures were implemented at Manor Lakes P-12 College following a Victoria Police operation near the school.“All students and staff are safe, no one was injured and the normal school day resumed,” he said.