AAP © Enlarge photo A 15-year-old girl faces three years in detention after being the first driver charged under the new "Skye's Law", due to a 31-minute police chase through Dubbo in western NSW.
The chase started when police observed a Suzuki Swift speeding in Dubbo about 10.45pm (AEDT) on Wednesday and signalled to the driver to pull over.
Instead, the 15-year-old girl led police on a chase that was only stopped by using road spikes.
The girl, who according to police treated the pursuit as a joke, will now face court after being charged under the new Skye's Law.
"The driver did not stop. The driver went out on to the Mitchell Highway, evaded the police (and) refused their directions to stop for 31 minutes," Police Minister Michael Daley told reporters in Sydney.
"She will now be the first person charged under the new police pursuit laws. She will face a potential three years in jail for this silly act.
"She was one of the lucky ones. Police managed to stop her car before she hurt herself or anybody else."
The 15-year-old driver will appear at Dubbo Children's Court on May 3, where she will also face the charge of dangerous driving.
Her three passengers, the 18-year-old owner of the vehicle, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, have been released by police, pending further investigations.
The so-called Skye's Law was sparked by the death of toddler Skye Sassine, who was killed in a police pursuit on New Year's Eve.
The little girl's death prompted tough new laws on those who flee in vehicles from police, with jail terms of three years for a first offence and five years for repeat offenders.
The 15-year-old's arrest comes only days after the deaths of four people, including a young family, after a high speed police chase in NSW and into the ACT on Saturday.
Canberra couple Scott Oppelaar-Mills and Samantha Ford, and their four-month-old baby boy, were killed instantly when a stolen car being chased by police ploughed into their car on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old driver of the stolen car, Justin Williams, who was disqualified and had a record of car theft, died later at Canberra Hospital.
Mr Daley was disappointed the recent spate of horrific accidents had failed to deter the teenagers on Wednesday night and appalled none of the group appeared to take it seriously.
"Police have advised me that when they asked the occupants to get out of the car they all thought it was a huge joke and found the pursuit and the fact that they were pulled over by police as something amusing," he said.
"I don't know what is amusing about this - potentially putting themselves and other road users at risk.
"We just want to get the message across any way we can, and if it takes magistrates to impose a very long jail sentence for someone doing something stupid on the road, then so be it."
The opposition, which first pushed for the tougher pursuit laws, called for more highway patrol officers to prevent pursuits from occurring.
"Whilst I'm appreciative of the police minister's comments today and his praise for the work of police. He must do more to prevent pursuits from occurring," opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher said in a statement.
"That means more highway patrol officers covering more of our roads."
The chase started when police observed a Suzuki Swift speeding in Dubbo about 10.45pm (AEDT) on Wednesday and signalled to the driver to pull over.
Instead, the 15-year-old girl led police on a chase that was only stopped by using road spikes.
The girl, who according to police treated the pursuit as a joke, will now face court after being charged under the new Skye's Law.
"The driver did not stop. The driver went out on to the Mitchell Highway, evaded the police (and) refused their directions to stop for 31 minutes," Police Minister Michael Daley told reporters in Sydney.
"She will now be the first person charged under the new police pursuit laws. She will face a potential three years in jail for this silly act.
"She was one of the lucky ones. Police managed to stop her car before she hurt herself or anybody else."
The 15-year-old driver will appear at Dubbo Children's Court on May 3, where she will also face the charge of dangerous driving.
Her three passengers, the 18-year-old owner of the vehicle, a 15-year-old girl and a 16-year-old boy, have been released by police, pending further investigations.
The so-called Skye's Law was sparked by the death of toddler Skye Sassine, who was killed in a police pursuit on New Year's Eve.
The little girl's death prompted tough new laws on those who flee in vehicles from police, with jail terms of three years for a first offence and five years for repeat offenders.
The 15-year-old's arrest comes only days after the deaths of four people, including a young family, after a high speed police chase in NSW and into the ACT on Saturday.
Canberra couple Scott Oppelaar-Mills and Samantha Ford, and their four-month-old baby boy, were killed instantly when a stolen car being chased by police ploughed into their car on Saturday night.
The 23-year-old driver of the stolen car, Justin Williams, who was disqualified and had a record of car theft, died later at Canberra Hospital.
Mr Daley was disappointed the recent spate of horrific accidents had failed to deter the teenagers on Wednesday night and appalled none of the group appeared to take it seriously.
"Police have advised me that when they asked the occupants to get out of the car they all thought it was a huge joke and found the pursuit and the fact that they were pulled over by police as something amusing," he said.
"I don't know what is amusing about this - potentially putting themselves and other road users at risk.
"We just want to get the message across any way we can, and if it takes magistrates to impose a very long jail sentence for someone doing something stupid on the road, then so be it."
The opposition, which first pushed for the tougher pursuit laws, called for more highway patrol officers to prevent pursuits from occurring.
"Whilst I'm appreciative of the police minister's comments today and his praise for the work of police. He must do more to prevent pursuits from occurring," opposition police spokesman Mike Gallacher said in a statement.
"That means more highway patrol officers covering more of our roads."
My comment is:
1.car should been rammed off the road
2.driver shot dead--end of problem
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