Accused highway chase driver Brayden Craig asks for bail to attend rehab

A lollipop lady and a man unpacking explosive gas cylinders were among those allegedly forced to take “evasive action” during a wild, wrong-way police chase through Geelong last year. SEE THE VIDEO

A driver accused of taking police on a wild peak-hour chase across Geelong’s southeast has asked for bail to attend rehab.

Brayden Craig, 28, fronted Geelong Magistrates Court via videolink from prison on Friday for a bail application.

The Mount Martha man is charged with 43 offences, stemming from a wild car chase that spanned Geelong on June 25 last year, including multiple counts of aggravated exposure of emergency services to risk by driving and reckless conduct endangering death and serious injury.

Senior Constable Reece Wood, the informant in the matter, alleged Craig drove a stolen Izuzu truck on the wrong side of the road into oncoming traffic during the chase, even prompting a school crossing volunteer to take “evasive action”.

The truck on the Bellarine Hwy during the alleged chase. Picture: Clint

When police attempted to corner him in a carpark at the Gordon TAFE, Craig tried to escape, smashing into cars and “severely” damaging six vehicles, Constable Wood said.

A man was unloading gas cylinders when he was allegedly forced to run for his life when Craig crashed into his truck, the court heard.

Craig allegedly fled the carpark down St Albans Rd, despite having police in pursuit and a tyre burst by road spikes.

Other cars on the road were forced to take evasive action, and the truck allegedly almost rolled when it mounted a median strip and briefly went on two wheels.

A cyclist exiting the Bellarine Rail Trail soon became the latest near miss, before police used more road spikes to burst the car’s two front tyres.

But Craig allegedly didn’t stop – he kept driving into oncoming traffic even as the metal wheel rims were “sparking”, Constable Wood told the court.

Brayden Craig

By the time he was taken into custody, the alleged chase has lasted more than an hour.

The court heard Craig faces other unresolved matters, including allegations of two residential burglaries, an aggravated residential burglary, using a stolen credit card, five counts of driving while disqualified, drug driving, drug possession, failing to stop on police direction and thefts.

Constable Wood told the court Craig was an unacceptable risk to the safety of the community and said he was concerned if released on bail Craig would drive again.

“When the accused does get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle, the consequences can be significant and horrific,” Constable Wood said.

“Being present on that day, it’s amazing nobody was killed.”

Craig’s lawyer told the court a number of factors underpinned the bail application, including that Craig had a bed available at a residential rehabilitation centre in Corio, an opportunity he’d never had before.

The centre was staffed around the clock, the court heard, and would contact police if Craig misbehaved, the court heard, and it was treatment he would not receive in custody.

She argued Craig’s mental health has struggled while on remand and he was vulnerable in custody, due having an intellectual disability.

Magistrate Kimberly Swadesir said she’d like more information about the residential rehab centre before she made her decision.

The bail application was adjourned until February 3.

Originally published as Accused highway chase driver Brayden Craig asks for bail to attend rehab