Melbourne Crime Investigation Unit detectives have charged a man following a theft of motor vehicle and extended follow through metropolitan Melbourne last week.
The 36-year-old year old man has been charged with a number of offences, including:
- theft of motor vehicle
- (12x) reckless conduct endanger life
- aggravated reckless exposure of police officer to risk by driving
- (17x) reckless conduct endanger serious injury
- (x3) fail to stop vehicle on police direction
- (x2) dangerous driving whilst being pursued by police
- drive speed dangerous
- drive manner dangerous
- (3x) fail to render assistance after accident
- (2x) unlicensed driving, burglary
- (x2) theft
- theft from motor vehicle
- commit schedule 2 offence whilst on bail
- (x2) commit indictable offence whilst on bail.
The charges follow the theft of a van on St Kilda Road about 5.40am on Friday, 11 July.
Officers, with assistance of the Air Wing, followed the white van through Footscray, Melbourne, Port Melbourne, Spotswood, Carnegie, Sunshine, Dandenong and Point Cook.
Police will allege the van was involved in collisions with several parked and moving vehicles, while being driven erratically and at speed.
Luckily, there were no serious injuries.
After crashing into a street sign at the intersection of Dunnings Road and Palmers Road in Point Cook, the van came to a stop just after 1pm.
The Point Cook man was initially arrested at the scene and was taken to hospital under police guard.
He will appear before Melbourne Magistrate's Court on Wednesday, 16 July.
