A man has been refused bail after he allegedly fled police and crashed a car which burst into flames. Photo: Michelle Kroll.
An allegedly dangerous driver is accused of fleeing police in his hired car before it was engulfed in flames when he crashed it.
Michael James Valetich was handed charges that included reckless driving, failing to stop for police and driving through a red light when he faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Monday (29 January).
Police officers had been patrolling Pearce at around 2:20 pm on Sunday afternoon (28 January) when they allegedly spotted a silver Kia Carnival on the wrong side of the road heading directly towards their fully marked police vehicle, court documents say.
It allegedly drove around 80 km/h in a 50 km/h zone. It narrowly missed another car before the officers activated their emergency lights and sirens to get it to stop.
“The [car] failed to stop for police and turned right onto the incorrect side of the road on MacFarland Crescent, narrowly missing an oncoming vehicle,” police said.
A pursuit was initiated through the suburb due to what police allege to be an “extremely dangerous manner of driving”. They say the Carnival reached speeds of 110 km/h in a 50 km/h zone on Collings Street, a residential area.
It also allegedly sped through a red light at the intersection of Melrose Drive and Eggleston Crescent while travelling at about 110 km/h in a 60 km/h zone.
The Carnival allegedly weaved around multiple cars at high speed and was last seen turning left onto Hindmarsh Drive in Phillip before police ended the pursuit due to the risk the vehicle posed to other road users.
Not long after, police allegedly saw the car weaving between three lanes of traffic and multiple cars at “an extremely high rate of speed” on Hindmarsh Drive.
Just five minutes later, police were told the car had crashed at the Caswell Drive and Glenloch Interchange turnoff in Aranda and was on fire while its driver had fled on foot towards Black Mountain.
Officers arrived to find the car engulfed in flames and multiple ACT Fire and Rescue vehicles had to attend to extinguish the blaze and prevent it from spreading to nearby bushland.
At 3 pm, Valetich was arrested, hiding in bushland about 400 metres away from the crash.
The 37-year-old from Crestwood in NSW applied for bail on Monday, which the prosecutor opposed.
She argued that his alleged driving had posed a significant risk to members of the community as, for instance, he had driven at more than double the speed limit to avoid being arrested.
His lawyer, Peter Bevan of Bevan & Co Lawyers & Conveyancers, said his client, a maintenance worker for a disability organisation, had recently spiralled downhill. He had started using drugs again when his brother died last year.
Magistrate Jane Campbell said the allegations were “an extremely serious example of dangerous driving” and they gave her “great concern for the protection of the community”.
Valetich tried to interrupt her, resulting in her telling him that she was still speaking before she refused bail.
The matter was adjourned to 19 February. No pleas were entered.
Loading ...
