A Windale man will front court on Thursday accused of leading police on a wild pursuit through Newcastle in a stolen vehicle.
The chase was sparked on Brown Street around 12.30pm on Wednesday afternoon when officers approached a white Toyota Hilux — suspected of being stolen from Nelson Bay.
That’s when the driver allegedly sped off and in the process, ramming into the back of a parked car in his haste.
Police initially gave chase before calling off the pursuit over safety concerns.
But it wasn’t long before they located the Hilux abandoned in the rail corridor near the Newcastle Interchange where five paintball guns and other equipment, also believed to have been stolen, were allegedly uncovered.
A short time later, a 39-year-old man was arrested on Beaumont Street in Hamilton and charged over the incident.
He has been held in custody overnight and will appear in Newcastle Local Court on Thursday.