Five teenagers are in custody following a pursuit that spanned several suburbs after they allegedly rammed a marked police car in Lilydale.
The incident began around 1.30pm on Thursday 22 January when officers spotted a stolen Ford Focus travelling along the Maroondah Highway. When the vehicle became caught in heavy traffic, officers attempted to box in the car to prevent an escape. However, the driver allegedly rammed the police vehicle and fled the scene.
Fortunately, the officers involved were not injured.
After the initial confrontation, the vehicle was sighted on Swansea Road in Montrose. The search shifted to Bayswater at approximately 2.45pm following reports of suspicious activity on Burdekin Street. Witnesses informed police that five teenagers had abandoned a Ford Focus and walked toward a nearby bus stop.
Officers intercepted a bus in the immediate area, where they located and arrested all five suspects without further incident.
The teens, three 13-year-old girls and one 13-year-old boy from the Bayside, Glen Eira, Frankston and Yarra Ranges areas and a 16-year-old girl from the Latrobe area, are currently in custody and will be interviewed.
The Ford was allegedly stolen from Palmer Street in Richmond on 22 January at about 9am.
