A SEAFORD man was placed under guard at Frankston Hospital after the car he is alleged to have stolen was involved in a series of accidents on Frankston-Dandenong Rd last Tuesday evening (11 August).
The man, mid-30s, was later charged with robbery, three counts of recklessly endangering life, theft of number plates and other road traffic offences by members of the Frankston Embona taskforce. He has been remanded to appear at Frankston Magistrates’ Court on 28 August.
Detective Senior Constable Ken Howard alleges the man pretended to be a potential buyer of the $20,000, black 2011 Subaru hatch, before pushing the salesman out of the way, jumping in, and stealing it from a dealership in Overton Rd, Frankston, 1.30pm, Tuesday.
Suspecting they knew the repeat offender, detectives drove to the man’s house where the car, with false number plates, was parked in the driveway. Coming outside, the man saw the officers, jumped in the car, and allegedly drove straight at the police car, with officers “forced to swerve to avoid a collision”. He then sped off.
Near the intersection of Frankston-Dandenong Rd and Frankston-Gardens Drive – and driving at speeds of up to 140kp/h – the man collided with an approaching car causing the Subaru to spin out of control, mount a kerb, and crash through a wire fence into cars parked outside a fitness club. The driver of the other car was not hurt, but the Subaru was a write off and two cars in the car park damaged.
The man allegedly ran from the scene but was caught a short time later in Austin Rd, Seaford.
Any witnesses to the incident are asked to call Frankston Embona detectives, 9784 5555.
