A man is facing 13 offences in Newcastle court tomorrow after a stolen car was involved in a high-speed crash on the M1 overnight.
Emergency services were called to the Motorway at Cooranbong shortly before 11pm (Friday 29 April 2022), after a southbound Toyota RAV4 allegedly hit the rear of Mitsubishi Triton ute at high speed.
This forced the ute into trees on the median strip, trapping the driver, a 31-year-old man.
Members of the public and officers from Lake Macquarie Police District released the driver, who was examined by NSW Ambulance paramedics; however, did not need further treatment.
The driver of the SUV – which had been reported stolen from Warriewood earlier that day – allegedly left the scene and was unable to be found despite a search by a Police Dog Unit.
Southbound traffic on the Motorway was disrupted for more than two hours while the vehicles were recovered, with the stolen SUV towed for forensic examination.
A search for the driver was unsuccessful until about 7am today (Saturday 30 April 2022), when the driver of a Mazda2 reported she'd been stopped down by a man standing on the roadway not far from crash scene. He then allegedly used a metal pole to smash her windscreen.
The 52-year-old female driver accelerated away before alerting police; she and her 17-year-old daughter were shaken but uninjured.
Officers from Lake Macquarie Police District attended the scene and arrested a 31-year-old man nearby a short time later. The man was taken to Toronto Police Station where he was charged with 13 offences,
- Destroy or damage property (two counts)
- Armed with intent to commit indictable offence (two counts)
- Stalk/intimidate intend fear physical etc harm (two counts)
- Negligent driving
- Assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV)
- Contravene prohibition/restriction in AVO (DV)
- Common assault (DV)
- Take and drive conveyance without consent of owner
- Steal property in dwelling-house
- Not give particulars to other driver.
The domestic-violence-related charges relate to the alleged assault of a 30-year-old woman at Warriewood yesterday morning. She was taken to Northern Beaches Hospital for treatment and has since been released.
The man, who is from Umina Beach, has been refused bail to appear in Newcastle Bail Court tomorrow (Sunday 1 May 2022).
