Police have arrested two men following the alleged theft of an excavator, trailer and pursuit in Taylors Hill last night.
Investigators allege the men, aged 24 from Tullamarine and 26 from Greenvale, stole the 1.7 tonne excavator that was on a trailer just after 11.30pm from an address on Webbs Avenue.
The pair hooked the trailer, with the excavator on it, up to a red Holden, before the offenders drove off.
As police arrived at the scene, the trailer, with the excavator on it, failed to stop and collided with the police vehicle, causing minor damage to the police car.
Stop sticks were successfully deployed, however the vehicle continued driving west on Barwon Avenue.
The Airwing monitored the vehicle before the Tullamarine man jumped out of the car.
He was arrested nearby without incident.
The Greenvale man continued driving a short distance until the vehicle came to a stop alongside Melrose Drive.
The man refused to get out of the vehicle and when it caught fire due to a ruptured fuel tank, police forcibly removed the man for his own safety.
The fire was extinguished, however the vehicle was extensively damage.
The stolen excavator and trailer were not damaged during the incident.
The pair remain in custody and the investigation is ongoing.
