A police chase past Beelbangera Public School on Tuesday afternoon has left one mother wondering what would have happened if her kids had been walking home at the time.
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Christopher James Medley, 31, of Rankins Springs, was arrested and charged with 16 offences including possession of a loaded semi-automatic rifle and a sawn-off shotgun.
At 2.29pm Tuesday a Griffith Highway Patrol car was responding to a driving complaint on Rankins Springs Road near Beelbangera when a Holden Commodore drove past them heading south toward Beelbangera Public School.
When the Highway Patrol attempted to pull the Commodore over it “accelerated harshly” and they began to pursue it, according to Inspector John Wadsworth from Griffith Local Area Command.
The car reached speeds of between 180km/h and 200km/h, speeding through a 40km/h school zone and across Beelbangera Road without giving way.
“The vehicle continued over the railway line and onto Winery Road,” Inspector Wadsworth said.
“The pursuit ended when the Commodore collided with an embankment.”
Inspector Wadsworth said police alleged Medley ran from the vehicle into a nearby address.
“An off-duty police officer sighted the alleged offender, pursued him on foot and apprehended him a short time later,” Inspector Wadsworth said.
It is believed Medley tore his shirt and sustained minor injuries during the foot pursuit.
Inspector Wadsworth said the main concern of police was the safety of young school children.
“The main concern for police was that it occurred at 2.30pm near the Beelbangera school, there was a risk to children’s safety,” he said.
Natasha Hyder, a mother who walks her children to school along Winery Road, said the pursuit was very concerning.
“If it had been half an hour later it could have been much worse,” Ms Hyder said.
“It’s worrying because I walk the kids where the pursuit happened.”
Ms Hyder said Beelbangera Public School’s pickup policy required children to stay inside the fence after school rather than “mill about” on the footpath, but a child walking along the road would have been at risk.
Other parents at Beelbangera said the children were all inside classrooms at the time and were safe from harm.
One mother said she hadn’t even heard about the incident until Thursday morning.
“Unless the kids tell me about it I wouldn’t know,” she said.
Police found a loaded .22 calibre semi-automatic rifle and a sawn-off double-barrel 12-gauge shotgun inside the Commodore as well as ammunition and a knife.
Medley was unlicensed at the time of the pursuit and the number plates on the Commodore didn’t match the registration of the vehicle.
Sergeant Matt Carroll from Griffith Highway Patrol said the speeds reached were “utterly ridiculous”.
“There was an extreme level of danger with the speeds and the manner of driving,” Sergeant Carroll said.
“It’s lucky it was at 2.30pm and not 3pm when it’s really busy.”
Medley was refused bail and appeared in Griffith Local Court on Wednesday. He was formally refused bail and taken into custody. Medley will appear via video link at Deniliquin Local Court on March 7.
Medley was charged with:
- Driving with a disqualified license
- Displaying unauthorised number plates
- Driving dangerously
- Exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h
- Possession of a shortened firearm
- Possession of unauthorised firearm
- Not keeping firearm safely
- Possession of unregistered firearm in public place
- Possession of unauthorised firearm
- Not keeping firearm safely
- Possession of unregistered firearm in public place
- Possession of a loaded firearm in a public place
- Possession of ammunition without license
- Custody of a knife in a public place
- Police pursuit
- Possessing a prohibited weapon without a permit
Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Griffith police on 6969 4299.