A 16-year-old girl has been charged following a police pursuit in a suspected stolen vehicle in the Southern Highlands yesterday.
Around 1.20pm (Wednesday 11 March 2020), police were alerted to a red Hyundai Elantra sedan allegedly driving at high speeds on the Hume Highway, north of Goulburn.
At 1.45pm, officers attached to Goulburn Proactive Team attempted to stop the Hyundai as it was travelling near Uringalla Creek, Marulan. The driver allegedly accelerated, and a pursuit was initiated on the Hume Highway, towards Sutton Forest.
The pursuit was terminated near Belangalo Road a short time later for safety reasons.
Shortly after, police initiated a second pursuit of the same vehicle as it continued to travel north bound on the Hume Highway through Berrima and Woodlands.
Road spikes were deployed near the Mittagong exit, with the Hyundai allegedly swerving to avoid them, crashing into trees on the median strip, then continuing to travel north. The pursuit was terminated again.
The Hyundai exited the highway onto the Old Hume Highway, with officers attached to Southern Highlands Police District observing all four occupants exiting the vehicle and running into bushland.
Shortly after, the 16-year-old female driver and three male passengers, two aged 13 and one aged 15, were arrested and taken to Southern Highlands Police Station.
The 16-year-old girl was taken to Bowral Hospital for treatment for a pre-existing medical condition.
Upon release from hospital, the girl was taken to Southern Highlands Police Station and charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, two counts of police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, and dishonestly obtain property by deception.
Police will allege that the same suspected stolen vehicle was allegedly involved in a fail to pay offence at a service station in Sutton Forest at 9.10am earlier that day.
The 16-year-old girl was refused bail and will appear at a children’s court today (Thursday 12 March 2020).
The three male passengers will be dealt with under the Young Offenders Act.
