Crooks rammed cop car

By Casey Neill
THIEVES rammed a Belgrave police van twice with a stolen car, after a high-speed pursuit on Saturday.
Police were called to Upwey’s Brooking Street at about 5.40am on 7 March following reports of a man loitering.
The man jumped into the passenger seat of a car when he spotted police.
The driver sped away and officers gave chase through the streets of Upwey and Tecoma.
The thieves lost control through S-bends leading into Belgrave’s main street, spun out and came to a sudden stop, forcing police to brake heavily.
The brazen thieves suddenly reversed and ploughed into the police car, drove 100 metres down the road and slammed head-on into a pole.
The passenger jumped out and ran.
The driver again reversed into the police van before trying to flee. He left the car on foot when he could not get the heavily damaged vehicle to move.
A police unit located a 21-year-old Cockatoo man a short time later.
Police charged him with theft of and from a motor car, criminal damage, assaulting police, resisting arrest, reckless conduct causing injury and being equipped to steal.
He was remanded to appear before Ringwood Magistrates’ Court this morning (Tuesday).
Police are still looking for the passenger.