Trip goes up in flames as man crashes allegedly stolen car

A Perth man who was wanted by police allegedly caused thousands of dollars worth of damage to Albany Health Campus when he was taken to hospital after crashing a stolen car near Mt Barker. Brayden Wade Bolton, 23, appeared in Albany Magistrate’s Court yesterday after the allegedly stolen Subaru Outback he was driving on Sunday crashed into a tree and burst into flames. Police had already issued an arrest warrant for Bolton over an alleged assault and motor vehicle theft when the crash happened about 4pm on the Albany Highway. A witness said the Outback was travelling south on the highway, about 2km north of Mt Barker, when it started swerving as a truck approached from the opposite direction. The Outback clipped the truck and lost its front wheel. It is understood the car travelled for another 100m, crossing the carriageway before hitting a tree and going up in flames. Acting officer-in-charge of Cranbrook police Sen. Const. Jeff Osbourne said a concerned member of the public took the car’s occupants to Albany Health Campus before police arrived. “Because it was a well-manufactured car, I think it dramatically reduced any injuries they could have sustained, so they were very lucky in that aspect,” he said. After investigations by Mt Barker police, 23-year-old Bolton, from Cloverdale, and his alleged passenger Lawanna Rose Maree Hart, 32, were arrested. Sen. Const. Osbourne said they were both charged with stealing a motor vehicle and breach of bail. Bolton was also charged with damaging property, stealing and no authority to drive. He is alleged to have caused caused about $4000 worth of damage to property at the Albany Health Campus. He appeared in Albany Magistrate’s Court yesterday and did not apply for bail. He is due to re-appear in Albany on January 24. The latest post on his public Facebook page from January 8 quotes a song by late US rapper Tupac Shakur called Out on Bail. “F... the judge,” the post says. Ms Hart was granted bail but will have to report to her nearest police station three times a week until she appears in Perth Magistrate’s Court on February 3. Mt Barker Sen. Sgt. Dave Johnson said it was the third stolen car from Perth found in Mt Barker in the past month. “We’re a little bit intrigued as to why these stolen cars keep crashing in Mt Barker,” he said.