Police re-arrest man after high-speed car chase

2010-03-18 1,309


An Australian man who crashed a stolen car during a high-speed police chase and then fled from a hospital has been re-captured by police after a massive search.



A team of more than 100 police officers tracked the 22-year-old to the back garden of a suburban home in Perth, in Western Australia.



He was charged with more than 20 offences, including aggravated armed robbery, after police said he stole cars during an hours-long pursuit.



Detectives say the man and a 21-year-old woman had stolen a car after threatening the occupants with a hammer.



During the ensuing hours-long pursuit, police said the suspect forced the driver out of another car and tried to do the same with three others.



The chase ended when he rammed a police car and rolled the stolen vehicle.



He was admitted to a hospital under guard for injuries, but as he was being taken out in a wheelchair, he jumped up and fled.



Police are investigating exactly how the escape happened and cannot say whether he had been handcuffed or not.