Man to face court charged with serious driving offences

A 23-year-old Charnwood man will face the ACT Magistrates Court this morning charged with multiple offences following a dangerous driving incident yesterday.

About 1.15pm yesterday (Monday, 9 September 2024), police observed a gold Subaru station wagon travelling on Hindmarsh Drive, Weston that was not registered.

A short time later, police attempted to stop the vehicle in Phillip for the purpose of a registration check, however the man accelerated away heavily into Altree Circuit.

Police situated their vehicle on Botany Street, aware that this road is a loop with only one exit.

In order to evade police, the 23-year-old drove directly at the police vehicle and travelled along the passenger side, almost hitting police.

The Subaru then drove onto the roundabout on Botany Street, causing several vehicles to stop to avoid being struck by the man.

About 1.30pm, police received a 000 call from the 23-year-old claiming that his car, the gold Subaru, had been stolen and that he was at his place of work in Gungahlin.

Despite the man claiming to be in Gungahlin, police tracked the origin of the call to be in Weston.

Officers located the man a short time later in Weston as a passenger in another vehicle, and the Gold Subaru was found at a residence in Phillip.

The man has been charged with failing to stop for police, dangerous driving, driving while his licence was suspended, using an unregistered vehicle, using an uninsured vehicle, and making a vexatious call to emergency services. The man also had bail conditions not to be in the driver’s seat of a vehicle at the time of the incident.