Police intercept 'erratic driver' in Bendigo

The 38-year-old Bendigo man was living in a blue Ford Falcon with no numberplates when he was caught by police in a car park near the intersection of Williamson and Myers streets on Tuesday morning.

Multiple police cars used two entrances to the car park to corner the man.

Acting Sergeant Peter Dyer said the man attempted to drive away and damaged three police cars and one other car, before he was sprayed with OC foam and arrested.

Multiple number plates and a range of other items were retrieved from the car, which will be towed and further analysed at Bendigo Police Station.

More than $5000 damage was caused to the police vehicles, and there were no injuries.

Acting Sergeant Dyer said the public could be assured that the driver was now off the road, after police received “dozens and dozens” of reports of his erratic driving in the last week.

“The danger this person posed to the public in the last week is the worst I have seen in 25 years,” he said.

“We’ve never seen such a danger to the community as this.”

Police suspect the man was involved in “daily” petrol station drive-offs.

A woman was also arrested near the scene.

UPDATE 11.30am: Three other cars including one police vehicle are also damaged.

A witness at the scene said his wife was almost involved in a head on collision with the Falcon on Avery’s Road yesterday after the driver swerved onto the wrong side of the road.

EARLIER: Police have apprehended a man after intercepting a blue Ford Falcon in a car park off Myers street this morning.

Six police cars are on scene and officers have hosed the man down after spraying him with capsicum spray.

They are speaking to witnesses and a fence in the car park has been damaged extensively.

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