The damaged police car.
A CAR rammed a police vehicle side-on after running a red light and hitting a Ballarat woman’s car in the CBD, police said.
The offending vehicle was travelling north on Lydiard Street when the collisions occurred, just after 10.40pm on Wednesday night.
Ballarat Criminal Investigation Unit Detective Senior Constable Jeff Highthorn said that as the car approached the intersection with Sturt Street, the driver observed a police vehicle further ahead on Lydiard Street.
“He crashed through the red light and hit a Hyundai Getz, causing it to spin around,” he said. “He then continued on through the intersection, drew alongside the police vehicle and rammed it side-on.”
“It was like something out of the movies.”
Detective Senior Constable Highthorn said that when both vehicles stopped outside the Regent cinemas, the driver left his vehicle and was acting “agitated” towards police.
Uniformed members subdued him with capsicum spray before he was taken to Ballarat Health Services Base Hospital for observation.
Witnesses who emerged from a nearby hotel told The Courier they observed four police vehicles arrive quickly on the scene, followed by paramedics and a tow truck.
Police said a 22 year old Ballarat woman driving the Hyundai was not injured in the collision, but police say her vehicle was significantly damaged.
The police divisional van involved in the incident suffered moderate damage and was being repaired yesterday.
No police members were injured during the incident.
A 21-year-old Buninyong man appeared in Ballarat Magistrates Court late yesterday afternoon.
He did not make an application for bail and was remanded to reappear in the same court today.
He is facing nine charges including making a threat to kill, failing to stop after an accident and three counts of reckless conduct endangering life.
jordan.oliver@thecourier.com.au
