A Launceston man has been arrested after allegedly driving up to 30 kilometres with three punctured tyres resulting from a police chase.
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The 27-year-old and another 60-year-old man remained in custody Monday night after the chase, which included three attempts at blowing out the cars wheels, ended when a car crashed at a busy Launceston intersection.
Tasmania Police Detective Acting Inspector Tony Stewart said the men smashed into the barriers at the corner of Goderich and Lindsay streets before jumping from the white BMW and fleeing the wreck.
Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said shortly after the eventual smash both of the men were arrested and taken into police custody.
"The two male occupants left the vehicle and were pursued by police. One male was found very close to the scene and the second male, who we will allege was the driver, was located in a residence very close by the crash site," he said.
Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said the 30-kilometre pursuit had begun almost an hour and a half earlier, just before noon, before the car finally crashed around 1pm.
In between, Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said, police deployed spikes three times - first just north of Exeter, then near Brady's lookout and finally near Rosevears.
He said officers first spotted the car and its driver who was known to police as far out as Beauty Point.
He said police monitored the car from there before commencing a pursuit on the West Tamar Highway near Exeter until it entered the Launceston CBD where police deemed the chase to be too risky.
By the time the BMW, which Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said police believed was not stolen, had come to its final abrupt stop only one wheel remained in tact.
Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said the 27-year-old man was wanted over a number of matters one of which they would allege was breaching bail.
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"There's a number of matters that he was previously wanted for which we will investigate and obviously seek to interview him in relation to those," he said.
Detective Acting Inspector Stewart said no guns had been found in the car while investigations continued into what else was found.
He said Tasmania Police expected to lay charges at some stage on Monday night and a court appearance date would be determined as police collected further evidence.
Anyone who witnessed the vehicle travelling between Beauty Point and Launceston's CBD between noon and 1pm has been asked to contact Launceston CIB on 131 444.
Earlier
A driver's attempt to evade police has caused traffic mayhem at one of Launceston's busiest intersections.
Traffic on the Goderich and Lindsay streets area had temporarily slowed down while Tasmania Police examined the white BMW sedan involved in the incident.
Police have taken two men into custody.
Anyone who witnessed the vehicle travelling between Beauty Point and Launceston's CBD between noon and 1pm has been asked to contact Launceston CIB on 131 444
More to come.
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