A man who tried to flee ACT police in a high-speed chase that involved ramming two steel gates eventually got stuck in bushland near Stromlo and fled on foot, abandoning his female passenger.
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Police said in a statement that officers saw a maroon Toyota LandCruiser 4WD wagon run a red light in Phillip at 12.53am and turned on their car's lights and sirens.
Instead of stopping, the driver did a U-turn across the median strip on Melrose Drive and sped off.
"The driver then turned onto Hindmarsh Drive toward Duffy, and continued to flee from police at speeds of up to 135km/h. On reaching Uriarra Rd at Stromlo, the driver of the Toyota rammed open a locked fire trail gate with the front of his vehicle and proceeded up the trail, where the vehicle struck another steel gate. Some 400 metres further on, the driver attempted to do a U-turn and became stuck," police said.
"The driver abandoned his car and ran into the bush. A Police K9 team was deployed to the area but the driver has not yet been located. The female passenger in the Toyota was conveyed to Woden Police Station and later released without charge."
Police say they want to "confirm the identity" of the driver and ask anyone who may have seen a man walking in the outer Stromlo area, or Uriarra Rd, or may have picked up a hitchhiker in the early hours of this morning to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or at act.crimestoppers.com.au.
