A 13-year-old girl has been charged after allegedly leading police on a pursuit in a stolen SUV across the NSW South Coast before road spikes brought the vehicle to a stop.
Alleged theft and pursuit
Police allege the girl was behind the wheel of the SUV, which had been reported stolen from Smith Street in Wollongong a day earlier, when officers spotted it travelling on the Princes Highway at Flinders about 6:30pm on Friday.
When police attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver allegedly failed to pull over, sparking a pursuit through Kiama Downs, Bombo, Minnamurra, and Jamberoo.
Arrest and charges
Road spikes were eventually deployed successfully before police arrested the three occupants inside the SUV.
The 13-year-old driver was taken to Wollongong Hospital for precautionary checks before being transferred to Lake Illawarra Police Station.
She was charged with taking and driving a conveyance without the owner's consent, dangerous driving during a police pursuit, driving without a licence, hindering police, and breaching bail.
The passengers, a 15-year-old girl, was charged with being carried in a conveyance taken without the owner's consent and breach of bail, while a 14-year-old girl was charged with being carried in a conveyance taken without the owner's consent.
All three were refused bail and are due to appear before a children's court on Saturday.
