A man has been arrested after he allegedly assaulted a 66-year-old woman with an axe, before stealing her classic sports car and leading police on a pursuit across the NSW South Coast yesterday.
Police were called to Rayleigh Drive in Worrigee, shortly before 1pm on Saturday following reports of a man armed with an axe and hammer in the area.
“As officers attached to South Coast Police District arrived on scene, a man allegedly threw the axe at the police vehicle,” NSW Police said in a statement.
“The man retrieved the axe then ran to a home in Illawarra Circuit where he allegedly assaulted a 66-year-old woman while she was sitting in her Ford Mustang.”
Police will allege the man hit the woman multiple times with the axe before forcing her out of the car. They say the woman was then run over by her own car as the man drove it away from the scene.
The woman was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for multiple leg and torso injuries before being taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital in a serious but stable condition. The woman has since been transferred to St George Hospital for further treatment.
Following an extensive search of the area, police – with assistance from PolAir – located the vehicle at about 2pm on the Princes Highway heading south and initiated a pursuit after the driver allegedly failed to stop when directed.
The pursuit continued through Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong, and Kiama during which the sports allegedly reached speeds of 180km/h in an 80km/h speed zone.
During the pursuit, officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command attempted to utilise road spikes to stop the driver; however, the driver allegedly swerved the vehicle towards a highway patrol officer narrowly missing him and the spikes.
“The pursuit ended after the sports car was seen driving on the opposite side of the Princes Highway at Kiama Downs, where it collided with a utility before stopping,” Police said.
The alleged driver, a 25-year-old man, then attempted run from the scene; however, members of the public held him until police arrived.
He was arrested and taken to Wollongong Hospital under police guard where he remains.
The driver of the ute was also taken to Wollongong Hospital for assessment.
Police established a crime scene and – following a search of the Mustang – seized an axe and hammer for forensic examination.
Police inquiries into the incident are continuing.
