Teen Faces Charges After High-Speed Chase and Car Thefts in Port Stephens-Hunter

newy.com.au – A 13-year-old boy has been charged with multiple offences following a police pursuit and a series of vehicle thefts in the Raymond Terrace area earlier this month.

Emergency services were called to Benjamin Lee Drive, Raymond Terrace, around 11:55pm on Saturday, 15 March 2025, after reports of a crash. Upon arrival, police found an abandoned Mitsubishi utility that had collided with an unoccupied Toyota utility. Witnesses reported that a group of young people fled the scene after exiting the Mitsubishi, which had allegedly been stolen from a home in Tenambit. No injuries were reported, and an investigation was launched.

A few hours later, around 3:30am on Sunday, 16 March 2025, police responded to another incident on Joseph Sheen Drive, Raymond Terrace, where a Nissan SUV had allegedly been stolen by two young people. Later that morning, around 10:10am, police spotted the stolen vehicle on the New England Highway in East Maitland.

When officers attempted to stop the vehicle, the driver allegedly failed to comply, leading to a high-speed pursuit through Rutherford, Farley, Telarah, and Bishops Bridge. The chase saw the stolen SUV reaching speeds of 150km/h in an 80km/h zone. The pursuit was eventually terminated after the vehicle stopped on Old Maitland Road, Sawyers Gully, where two suspects attempted to flee on foot.

A 14-year-old boy was arrested nearby and dealt with under the Young Offenders Act. Following further inquiries, a 13-year-old boy was arrested at Maitland Police Station on Tuesday, 18 March 2025.

The teen has been charged with multiple offences, including driving a stolen vehicle, being a passenger in a stolen vehicle, failing to stop for police, trespassing, and resisting arrest. He was granted strict conditional bail and is set to appear before a children’s court on Wednesday, 16 April 2025.

Police will allege in court that the 13-year-old was the driver of the stolen Nissan SUV and a passenger in the Mitsubishi utility. Investigations are ongoing.