A Victoria driver and three passengers were lucky to escape unharmed after the driver fled police and slammed into a concrete barrier.
At about 12:30 a.m. on Sunday, VicPD officers pulled over a black 2007 Range Rover in the 500-block of David St. for a minor traffic violation.
When the officer went to check on the vehicle registration, the driver took off at a high speed. The vehicle hardly made it a block before slamming into concrete blocks at Ellice Recycling yard.
"The impact was enough to shatter the Range Rover’s rims and to drive the axle deep into the engine compartment," said Bowen Osoko, VicPD spokesman, adding the $70,000 vehicle is likely to be written off. "The concrete blocks themselves, which weigh a considerable amount, were also displaced by the impact."
The driver fled the scene but was quickly tracked down by a K9 unit, Osoko said.
A 19-year-old Victoria man faces charges of dangerous driving and fleeing from police.
One of the passengers, an 18-year-old Victoria man, was also taken into custody on an outstanding warrant.
Charges against the other passengers and further charges against the driver are expected.
dpalmer@vicnews.com