Men in black cars force Geelong cops off road, hit officer, escape chase

RECOVERED: The stolen Nissan Pathfinder used in the Geelong police chase.

Two men with allegedly stolen vehicles forced police into “evasive action” in northern Geelong on Monday morning.

One of the vehicles also “clipped” an officer before escaping a subsequent pursuit amid safety concerns, Victoria Police said.
The incident began when officers investigated a suspicious vehicle in Madden Avenue, North Shore, about 8am, police headquarters said.
“When they arrived they noticed a black Holden Commodore and a black Nissan Pathfinder in the street along with two men.
“The men noticed police and got into the cars and attempted to drive from the scene.
“The Commodore, possibly bearing homemade plates, drove off and forced a police car to take evasive action to avoid a collision while the driver of the Nissan encountered difficulties while trying to start his vehicle.
“Officers attempted to remove the driver from the Pathfinder but he managed to start the vehicle and clipped a member while attempting to flee.

“He also drove at police vehicles and was last seen driving erratically along Melbourne Rd, North Geelong, after a pursuit was called off for safety reasons.”
Investigations discovered that the Nissan, registration AIB-502, was stolen from Point Cook address earlier in the morning, police said.
The vehicle had since been recovered in Colac.
Police released CCTV of the Nissan from a nearby Geelong service station.
Geelong Crime Investigation Unit detectives asked anyone who “may be able to identify the driver” to contact police.