A high-speed, five-hour car chase involving a stolen Porsche concluded early Saturday morning when the vehicle collided with a van on a Melbourne freeway. Four individuals were transported to hospitals following the incident.
The carjacking occurred Friday evening when a 44-year-old woman was approached by a group of men as she returned to her home in Bentleigh. Police allege one of the men was armed with a large kitchen knife and threatened the woman before demanding her Porsche keys. The group then fled in the luxury car, leaving the owner with a minor injury.
Police units began spotting the stolen Porsche driving erratically and at high speeds across the city's western and southern suburbs. The pursuit continued into Saturday morning, with officers observing the vehicle allegedly speeding and with its headlights off in Melbourne's eastern suburbs around 2:10 a.m.
When police attempted to intercept the vehicle, the driver failed to stop and led officers toward the Eastern Freeway. The Porsche then reportedly turned around near roadworks and drove into oncoming traffic on the wrong side of the road, ultimately colliding with a van.
The van driver, a 51-year-old man, sustained non-life-threatening injuries and was taken to the hospital. The alleged driver of the Porsche, a 19-year-old man, had to be extracted from the vehicle and was taken to the hospital under police guard with serious injuries. Two passengers in the Porsche, a 21-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman, also suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were hospitalized.
Victoria Police confirmed the investigation into the incident is ongoing and are appealing for witnesses or anyone with dashcam or CCTV footage to come forward.