A 19-year-old man is dead after he crashed during a police pursuit in Sydney’s south

Police say they believe guidelines were followed in a short pursuit that ended in the death of a 19-year-old ute driver who had been pulled over for speeding.

A 19-year-old driver is dead after he crashed during an early morning police pursuit while he allegedly tried to avoid a radar trap.

A critical incident investigation is now under way following the incident in Sydney’s south just before 6am on Friday, that closed a major road to peak hour traffic.

“An officer from the Traffic and Highway Patrol Command was performing speed enforcement duties on the Bangor Bypass about 6am when they detected a Holden utility travelling above the 80km/h speed limit,” NSW Police said in a statement.

“The officer pulled the vehicle over on New Illawarra Road, however, as the officer got out of the police vehicle, the ute drove away and a pursuit was initiated.”

A short time later, the ute hit a barrier on Alfords Point Road then collided with the back of a Toyota ute.

The driver of the first ute, who has not been formally identified but is believed to be a 19-year-old man from Oyster Bay, died at the scene.

A major Sydney road was closed to peak hour traffic after a driver died following a police pursuit in Sydney’s south. Picture: Supplied

Motorists are urged to avoid the area and make alternative travel arrangements. Picture: Seven News

The driver of the other vehicle was not injured.

NSW Police say the guidelines for police pursuits were followed.

“Having viewed the in-car video footage, it is clear there is a very short pursuit and the officer has acted within the guidelines and circumstances,” Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke told reporters.

NSW Police Assistant Commissioner Tony Cooke said he believes the officer acted within guidelines.

“The vehicle did pull over, it came to a stop but as the officer began to get out of the vehicle, the offending vehicle drove away at speed.

“The officer followed that vehicle and commenced a pursuit for a very short distance.”

Specialist police from the Crash Investigation Unit were brought in on Friday to examine the crime scene.

Alfords Point Rd, which connects Lucas Heights to Padstow, was closed in both directions with diversions in place.

The chase began after Highway Patrol attempted to stop a ute on Alfords Point Rd in Menai shortly after 6am on Friday. Picture: Google

The Critical Incident Investigation Team from Sydney City Police Area Command is now investigating the incident.

The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) has been notified of the critical incident and the investigation will come under review by the Professional Standards Command.

Originally published as A 19-year-old man is dead after he crashed during a police pursuit in Sydney’s south