Vic: Car speeds on wrong side of road, crashes

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2001
Vic: Car speeds on wrong side of road, crashes

MELBOURNE, Feb 19 AAP - A car believed to be carrying two men who broke into a Melbourne
newsagency sped along the Eastern Freeway in the wrong direction before colliding head-on
with a four-wheel drive early this morning.

The police had tried to intercept the car, containing two men, when responding to an
alarm at a newsagency in Bourke Road, Kew, in Melbourne's eastern suburbs.

The chase began shortly after 5.20am (AEDT).

Police pursued the car along Bourke Road and onto the Eastern Freeway towards the city.

But they abandoned the high-speed chase due to safety concerns when the offenders crossed
the median strip into oncoming traffic.

The Commodore continued heading towards the city in the emergency stopping lane, before
colliding with the four-wheel-drive on the Hoddle Street on-ramp, in Clifton Hill.

The driver of the four-wheel-drive, a woman in her 40s, was taken to St Vincent's Hospital
for observation, but has since been released.

Police are still searching for the two men.

The car they were driving, which was stolen in Ascot Vale three days ago, was damaged
in the collision.

Police said one of the men injured his head in the collision and they asked doctors
and chemists to be on the look-out in case he sought treatment.

AAP bp/jlw/maur

KEYWORD: PURSUIT

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