Two police officers spent the night in hospital after their patrol car was rammed by a stolen government fire engine near Lakes Entrance in east Victoria.
Important points:
- Two police officers spent the night in the hospital after their patrol car was rammed by a stolen vehicle
- A police helicopter and a dog squad were present after the man ran into the woods
- A 30-year-old man was arrested in connection with the incident
Police arrested a 30-year-old man from East Gippsland in connection with the incident involving a stolen Mercedes Benz G Wagon.
The four-wheel drive Forest Fire Management Victoria, which has a 630-liter tank on its tray, was fetched from a workshop around 5:00 p.m. on Saturday.
Police said a member of the public drew their attention to the ultra-light tanker headed north towards Colqhoun State Forest and followed it before turning into the forest.
When the police parked next to the citizen, the stolen vehicle reappeared and rammed into the police patrol car.
Police said the police helicopter and canine squad were called after the man got out of the vehicle and ran into the woods.
The G-Wagen was stolen from a repair shop in Lakes Entrance. (
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Crazy but ok
Bairnsdale Police Department Detective Sergeant Andy Mehlert said the two officers were in the hospital for the night.
“The two occupants of the vehicle were injured and taken to Bairnsdale Hospital with non-life threatening injuries and were released on Sunday with bruises and pain,” he said.
He said the difference in size of the vehicles meant the police car would likely be written off.
“The police vehicle was a BMW Autobahn sedan, and the vehicle was standing still when it was rammed in the rear.
“There was significant property damage to the police vehicle,” he said.
The Ministry of the Environment, Land, Water and Regional Planning declined to comment.
The police are asking for dashcam recordings from the Lakes Entrance industrial area, Capes Road or Coulquhoun Road from Saturday evening.
