Man and girl charged over Vic chase
A man and teenage girl have been charged over a high-speed 300km chase through Victoria which allegedly involved a loaded gun being brandished to steal cars and take hostages.
Endeavour Hills man Jaye Richardson, 25, was charged with eight counts of armed robbery on Thursday night and remanded in custody after an out-of-sessions hearing at Morwell police station.
Police say the chase from Dandenong to Swan Reach, which is between Bairnsdale and Lakes Entrance, began when a man allegedly confronted officers with a loaded firearm at a Dandenong address before fleeing in a stolen car with a female teenage passenger.
The chase continued with the man allegedly stealing cars on the way and taking hostages, police said.
First on 7 pictures: A man arrested after leading police on a wild chase for hundreds of kilometres across Victoria. Photo: 7News
The man was arrested with two hostages about four hours later.
One of the cars crashed in Traralgon and the female passenger was arrested by police.
A 17-year-old girl will also appear in a children's court at a later date charged with five counts of armed robbery.
The moment police arrested the man at the centre of a dramatic pursuit across the state's east earlier today. Photo: 7News
Richardson will appear in Morwell Magistrates Court on Friday morning.
A police spokeswoman said detectives were expected to lay additional charges pending further enquiries.
Seven News reporter Kristy Mayr was live tweeting as the drama unfolded:
BREAKING: A driver evading a warrant is leading a convoy of at least 10 police cars on a high-speed chase near Yallourn.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Police attempted to serve a warrant in Dandenong, when the intended jumped in a car with a female passenger and sped up the Monash Fwy..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
The man leading police on a chase across Gippsland veered off the freeway at Trafalgar.. he's now headed towards Morwell.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
We are hearing the man leading a convoy of police in high pursuit is overtaking cars in the emergency lane as he speeds towards Morwell..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Target of police pursuit has crashed into a house at Traralgon.. we are hearing he is waving a sawn-off shotgun.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
We are hearing the female passenger in high-speed getaway car was an 80 yr old HOSTAGE.. driver of car has now hijacked another car..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Driver leading police on a pursuit through Gippsland is now in another car and headed towards Rosedale.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
The hostage from Gippsland car chase is now in the care of paramedics.. as driver continues to flee police in stolen car @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Driver leading police on a chase across Gippsland believed to be racing at speeds of 170+ km/hr.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
The driver at the centre of a dramatic police pursuit is now at #Stratford in Gippsland.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Man who has led police on a high speed chase from Dandenong to Gippsland is now on the Princes Fwy, headed for Bairnsdale.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
The driver at the centre of dramatic police pursuit has covered hundreds of kms at speeds of up to 180km/h #7NewsMelb pic.twitter.com/QJkB6FTeqG
— 7NewsMelbourne (@7NewsMelbourne) October 23, 2014
Man at centre of police chase is now driving through the centre of Bairnsdale.. @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
The man at centre of police chase has just hijacked ANOTHER car.. he has jumped in the back seat this time.. so he's not driving at moment..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
Latest car to be hijacked by man fleeing police across Gippsland is now ON THE MOVE.. he's in the backseat @7NewsMelbourne
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
BREAKING: An armed man, who has led police on a high-speed chase across Gippsland, spanning hundreds of kilometres, has just been arrested..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
"It's come to a peaceful end luckily" - Sergeant Sharon Darcy from @VictoriaPolice talking about today's dramatic pursuit.. @3AW693
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
ONLY ON @7NewsMelbourne - EXCLUSIVE aerials from our chopper show the moment police arrested the man at the centre of a high speed pursuit..
— Kristy Mayr (@KristyMayr7) October 23, 2014
A man has been taken into custody after leading police on a 300-kilometre chase across Victoria. Photo: 7News
News break - October 23