A man wanted on three outstanding warrants has finally been caught after an alleged crime spree, sparking a wild police chase that ended after he allegedly rammed a stolen ute into a cop car.
Stunned bystanders filmed the final stages of the dramatic chase on a busy road in Erina on the NSW Central Coast on Tuesday.
The footage showed the allegedly stolen Mazda coming to an abrupt stop when it collided with another vehicle at a roundabout moments after the driver, 29, rammed into a police vehicle.
Sirens could be heard blaring in the background as the shirtless driver wearing black footy shorts got out of the ute.
He jumped over a police car that had blocked the ute and dodged oncoming traffic as he sprinted down the road with up to a dozen officers in hot pursuit.
A man wanted on three outstanding warrants was finally caught after a wild police chase spanning several suburbs on the NSW Central Coast on Tuesday
The man was finally arrested after a short foot pursuit when officers deployed pepper spray. He has since been charged with a long list of serious offences.
Police allege officers earlier in the afternoon tried to arrest the man wanted on three outstanding warrants for drug and robbery offences at a carpark 11km away in Bateau Bay.
He allegedly fled the scene before returning to the carpark and attempted to steal a vehicle, where he resisted arrest a second time and allegedly assaulted officers.
He allegedly tried to steal a motorcycle and drove off in his Mercedes, sparking a pursuit which was then terminated a short time later due to safety concerns.
A police helicopter lost sight of the Mercedes at Wyoming, where the driver allegedly broke into a home and threatened the occupants with a firearm before driving off in a ute parked in the garage.
PolAir tracked the ute to a shopping centre in Erina, where the man allegedly tried to steal other vehicles before driving off in the ute.
He was driving through Erina when he allegedly collided with a police vehicle before a second collision with another vehicle on Terrigal Drive a short time later.
Stunned bystanders watched on as the man dodged oncoming traffic before he fled down the road where police eventually caught up and arrested him
The man was taken into police custody and later transported to Gosford Hospital, where he remains under police guard.
He was charged with 16 offences.
Charges included three counts of hinder or resist police officer, two counts of assaulting police, two counts of motor vehicle theft, intimidating an officer, damage to property and riving in a reckless/dangerous manner.
The matter will be heard in Gosford Local Court on Wednesday.
Detectives are due to provide more details at a press conference later on Wednesday morning.
