Police say miracle no one hurt or killed in spiked tyre joyride

A 15-year-old girl allegedly drove a stolen Uber vehicle from Port Melbourne to Warrnambool before driving to Port Fairy with a spiked flat tyre and dangerously overtaking a truck.

The teen appeared in a court on Wednesday where she made a successful bail application.

Senior Constable Rob McKinley alleged the teenager was with two 15-year-old girls in Port Melbourne in the early hours of Tuesday.

He said they knocked on the driver side window of a 2019 white Hyundai Accent sedan which was registered as an Uber.

The girls asked the driver for a lift to a nearby tram stop, he was reluctant but agreed.

The court heard the accused girl jumped in the front passenger seat while the co-accused hopped in the back.

As the third teenager attempted to put a bicycle in the vehicle, the driver jumped out with the engine still running.

Senior Constable McKinley said the accused slid into the driver seat and drove away with the co-accused still seated in the back.

He said Warrnambool police were alerted at 12.15pm Tuesday that the stolen sedan was being driven towards Warrnambool on the Princes Highway.

Warrnambool highway patrol unit members allegedly saw the car in south Warrnambool, which went down a dead-end road off Elliott Street.

Officers deployed stop sticks and the driver drove over them, popping the front left tyre.

It's alleged police officers had to jump out of the way of the Hyundai.

The girl continued driving, making her way back to the highway and heading west towards Port Fairy.

Senior Constable McKinley alleged the driver overtook a truck near the Port Fairy service station, she then had to take evasive action to avoid oncoming traffic and in that process the flat tyre came off the wheel rim.

He said the girls fled on foot, but were arrested nearby.

The officer said the victim's mobile phone and wallet were left in the vehicle.

He alleged the girls used the man's cash to purchase fuel.

A police prosecutor said it was unbelievable no one was hurt or killed.

The alleged driver was charged with theft of the sedan, two other counts of theft, two counts of reckless conduct endangering life, unlicensed driving and careless driving.

She was already on bail charged in relation to 10 police briefs of evidence.

The court heard she had vulnerabilities but would be strongly supported in the community.

She was released from custody with strict bail conditions, including an overnight curfew.

The co-accused also appeared in court on Friday and released on bail with strict conditions, including an 8pm to 8am curfew and not associate with any of the co-accused.

A male from Melbourne was also charged and released on bail.

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