Driver arrested after alleged high-speed chase comes to dramatic end on North Road in Albany

A 33-year-old man allegedly led police on a high-speed chase then escaped on foot in a dramatic incident that came to a head in front of shocked onlookers in Albany last week. Police said they wanted to speak to the driver about fuel thefts from McKails General Store. Two fuel thefts were reported at the service station this month, with investigations leading police to the Spencer Park area on Wednesday night. Just after 8pm, police tried to stop a red Ford Falcon as it was travelling along Campbell Road. But the driver allegedly accelerated away from police, triggering a chase which ended in a crash on North Road. The driver of the Falcon lost control of his vehicle through the roundabout at the intersection of North Road, Ulster Road and Lockyer Avenue. Police said he crossed into incoming traffic then abandoned his damaged car and jumped over a wall into a nearby retirement village. A male passenger was arrested at the scene but the driver could not be found. The passenger was later released without charge. Albany officer-in-charge Sen. Sgt Hugh Letessier said the driver was arrested on Saturday night after police were called out to an unrelated matter. The 33-year-old Spencer Park man has been charged with reckless driving to escape pursuit, failing to comply with a police direction, and no authority to drive. A conviction for reckless driving to escape pursuit carries a mandatory six-month jail term. He appeared in Perth Magistrates Court on Sunday and was remanded in custody. He is due to face Albany Magistrates Court on Thursday, March 3.