Fatal crash following high speed police pursuit

By Jessica Howard

UPDATE

A 17-year-old man has been arrested in Ballarat following a fatal crash and search operation.

Police addressed media at the scene at about 5:30pm this afternoon.

It is believed the driver was involved in a home invasion and aggravated burglary in Ballarat earlier today.

Police say they spotted the man driving a stolen Toyota HiAce known to police in Ballan at about 2:30pm this afternoon.

Police activated their lights and sirens in an attempt to intercept the driver, who did not stop and instead proceeded onto the Western Highway at significant speeds.

After a short pursuit, the vehicle hit a stationary truck located on the highway and a female believed to be in her mid-teens died at the scene.

Following the crash, the man immediately fled the scene and found another vehicle, which he drove to a Ballarat property, where he was later arrested.

Police say there were only two people in the car at the time.

“We’ve got [the man] in custody and a girl that is dead. This is a tragedy that just didn’t need to happen,” a spokesperson for Victoria Police said.

EARLIER

A female passenger has died and two men are on the run following a fatal collision on the Western Freeway this afternoon.

The collision occurred after a short pursuit in Ballan at around 2:30pm.

Police officers attempted to intercept an allegedly stolen van, which failed to stop and crashed into a truck near Ballan-Daylesford Road.

A female passenger from the allegedly stolen vehicle died at the scene. Police are still searching for two men who fled the scene.

The Western Freeway is expected to be blocked for a number of hours while an investigation is conducted. The deceased woman is yet to be identified.