A man has been charged after allegedly slamming head-on into a patrol car while driving on the wrong side of the road before fleeing on foot and leaving an injured officer behind.
The 30-year-old, from Munno Para in Adelaide’s north, was arrested after the violent 4am crash on Sunday, when a black Jeep allegedly veered into oncoming traffic and smashed straight into the police vehicle, sending both cars into a ditch.
Local resident Michael Whiteley told 7NEWS the impact was nasty.
“It was an enormous impact… it would have been very devastating to the police officer,” he said.
Another witness, Nathan Smith, said he couldn’t believe the driver managed to escape.
“How he got out I don’t know… the door looked jammed,” he said.
Police say the Jeep driver ran from the scene, leaving the injured officer, who was alone, trapped in the wreckage. The officer was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries as patrols swarmed the area searching for the fugitive driver. He was found nearby, arrested and taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital.
Police Association spokesperson Wade Burns says the union expects the courts to take the case seriously.
“Our expectation is the full weight of the judicial system is thrown at the driver,” he said.
The man is facing a string of serious charges, including causing harm by dangerous driving and driving without a licence. He will front court in July.
