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High-speed chase captured on camera

UPDATE: The man who allegedly lead police on a 170km-long high speed chase through Perth's northern suburbs has been charged over the incident.

A 23-year-old man of no fixed address has been charged with 30 offences including burglary, stealing a car, failing to stop and driving without a licence.

He will appear in Perth Magistrates Court today.

Yesterday the man had allegedly led police on a high-speed chase from Gnangara to Cataby, 170km north of Perth, then doubled back and travelled south along Brand Highway.

The police air wing and Channel 7 helicopter worked together to track the man during the chase, which lasted from about 1pm to 3pm.

A series of near misses had hearts in throats aboard the helicopter as the man weaved in and out of traffic on Wanneroo Road, Indian Ocean Drive and Brand Highway.

He narrowly missed a family car, a semitrailer and even a set of stingers laid on the road by police.

The ute goes off-road during the high-speed chase. Picture: 7News


Detectives said he reached more than 160km/h in the Ford XR8 utility before leaving the Brand Highway and hurtling down a 2m embankment just north of Muchea.

The utility was stuck between the embankment and a railway line and probably damaged.

But the chase did not end there.

Abandoning the ute, which was believed to be stolen, the young man took off through swampy bush.

With only the Channel 7 helicopter for guidance, Det-Const. Paul McDonagh and his female partner gave chase.

They crossed ankle-deep water and uneven terrain, while the man tried in vain to escape the helicopter.

The ute weaves through traffic. Picture: 7News


The detectives could not see the fugitive but they followed the helicopter and their tenacity paid off. One gruelling kilometre later and with the man’s body no longer willing, he surrendered.

“Channel 7 were talking to police air on air traffic control and that was being relayed back to us,” Det-Const. McDonagh said.

“They were saying, ‘Just run after the Channel 7 helicopter’. “That’s all we were doing — chasing the helicopter. We got saturated.

“We were jumping over fences and all sorts of stuff.”

The man was handcuffed and taken to Mirrabooka police station.

Det-Const. McDonagh said the man would not have been caught without the helicopter.

“We were at 160km/h and he just blew us away.”

The abandoned ute at railyway tracks north of Muchea. Picture: Nic Ellis /The West Australian