A high-speed chase tore through the quiet early hours of Saturday morning in Tamworth, as police pursued a driver already banned from the road until 2027.
It was just after 1.20am on Saturday when officers from Tamworth Highway Patrol, conducting routine patrols along Bridge Street, signalled for a sedan to pull over. Instead, police will allege, the driver accelerated away, triggering a pursuit throughout town.
The car sped through Taminda, reaching up to 170km/h in a 100km/h zone, and police deployed road spikes along the Oxley Highway in an attempt to bring the pursuit to an end.
The chase finally came to a stop near Soldier Settlement Road at Bective, where the vehicle was disabled. A 33-year-old man was arrested a short time later, along with his 19-year-old passenger.
Police allege the driver was not only speeding dangerously, but was behind the wheel despite being disqualified from driving until 2027. He has been charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive dangerously, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h, driving while disqualified, and driving in a manner dangerous.
His passenger was also taken into custody, charged on an outstanding arrest warrant.
Both men were refused bail.
The incident comes as police also dealt with another high-speed pursuit to our west, near Broken Hill, where a driver allegedly led officers on a 160km chase reaching speeds of up to 180km/h before being stopped with road spikes. A man was arrested after fleeing into bushland, while three passengers – including two children, a 14 year old girl and a seven month old girl – were found inside the vehicle, unharmed.
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