A man has died after a stolen truck allegedly ran a red light and collided with his car in Melbourne early this morning. The crash occurred at about 4:30 am in Footscray, at the intersection of Ballarat Road and Moore Street.
The stolen white Nissan truck reportedly struck a grey Toyota Corolla, forcing the car onto the footpath. The driver of the Corolla, who has yet to be identified, died at the scene. Police confirmed the truck had been reported stolen earlier this week.
Authorities first became aware of the truck around 3:00 am after it was sighted in Beveridge. Police pursued the vehicle when it was later spotted in Truganina, calling in the Air Wing and deploying stop sticks in an attempt to intercept it. Despite these efforts, the driver continued at high speeds, often driving on the wrong side of the road and running multiple red lights.
During the chase, the stolen truck was involved in a separate non-injury collision before the fatal crash in Footscray. The pursuit ended after the deadly collision, and police arrested a 40-year-old man from Deer Park at the scene.
The suspect was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries and is under police guard. Authorities have revealed that the truck was initially reported stolen on January 3 in Kalkallo and was later recovered in Derrimut. However, the vehicle was reportedly re-stolen before today’s tragic incident.
“From our enquiries at this stage, it appears the truck was stolen twice,” police stated.
Ballarat Road remains closed with significant delays expected, and motorists have been advised to seek alternative routes. Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are now examining the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The victim’s identity has not yet been disclosed, and investigations into the incident are ongoing. Authorities have urged anyone with information or dashcam footage to come forward.