A 33-year-old man from Hilton has died following a crash on South Australia's Eyre Highway, after police attempted to stop a vehicle they allege was stolen.
Chase Begins After Fuel Drive-Off
The incident began on Saturday morning around 10:30am. Police allege a blue Ford sedan, stolen from a Port Augusta home on Friday, was driven away from a local service station without paying for fuel.
Patrols sighted the car in Port Augusta just before 11am. Officers initiated a brief pursuit, but it was quickly terminated due to safety concerns. The Ford was last seen heading towards the industrial city of Whyalla.
Air and Ground Operation Leads to Crash
The vehicle was spotted multiple times in Whyalla. By approximately 1:30pm, the police helicopter PolAir was deployed to track the car from the air.
Officers monitored the Ford as it travelled along Iron Knob Road and then west onto the Eyre Highway towards Kimba. Police successfully deployed road spikes in an attempt to disable the vehicle.
However, the driver continued for a short distance before crashing at around 2:45pm. The man, who was the sole occupant, was found unconscious at the scene.
Death Triggers Internal Investigation
Officers performed CPR, but the 33-year-old could not be revived and was pronounced dead at the site of the crash.
Because the man was actively evading police at the time, the incident will be treated as a death in custody. This classification triggers a mandatory internal investigation by South Australia Police.
Officers from the Major Crash and Internal Investigation Section attended the scene. Crash investigators returned to the site on Sunday morning to continue their inquiries.
The Eyre Highway was closed between Kimba and Iron Knob following the crash but has since reopened to traffic.
