Victoria Police have released compelling aerial footage documenting the comically failed escape attempt of two suspected car thieves in Melbourne’s eastern suburbs last Friday evening. The incident unfolded when police air wing units identified an allegedly stolen Toyota HiLux traveling along Ferntree Gully Road in Glen Waverley approximately 28 kilometers from Melbourne’s central business district.
Authorities tracked the vehicle as it entered a railway station parking lot around 9:00 PM, where ground officers deployed tire-deflation devices that successfully punctured all four tires when the suspects attempted to flee. Despite the compromised tires, the determined thieves continued their escape attempt, creating a dramatic trail of sparks as the damaged rims made contact with the road surface.
The pursuit reached its climax when the suspects abandoned the still-moving vehicle on Doncaster Road and proceeded to flee on foot. The police footage captures the moment both men attempted to scale a perimeter fence in a desperate bid to escape. In a particularly humiliating turn of events, one of the suspects lost his balance during the climbing attempt and fell face-first into the ground upon landing.
Both 36-year-old men were apprehended immediately following their botched fence-crossing attempt. The driver faces multiple criminal charges including motor vehicle theft and possession of methylamphetamine, resulting in his remand to appear before Moorabbin Magistrates’ Court. The passenger received charges for vehicle theft, drug possession, and handling stolen goods, subsequently being released on bail for a future court appearance.
According to police reports, the HiLux had been stolen earlier that day from Narre Warren railway station. These arrests formed part of Operation Advance, a broader weekend law enforcement initiative targeting residential burglaries, automotive theft, and dangerous driving behaviors across the region.