A woman has been arrested after allegedly driving under the influence with a flat tyre during a police chase on the Mid North Coast of New South Wales. The incident took place on Friday morning when officers observed a silver Suzuki Vitara travelling on South West Rocks Road in Jerseyville at around 8.14 am, noticeably missing a tyre on the front passenger side and driving on its rim for approximately 17 kilometres.
Police reported that the driver was behaving dangerously, swerving across the road and alternating speeds in a reckless manner. When authorities attempted to pull the vehicle over near Gladstone, the 35-year-old woman did not comply, prompting a police pursuit and the implementation of a rolling roadblock.
As the vehicle eventually came to a halt, the driver allegedly locked her doors and attempted to escape by revving the engine. In response, officers forcibly entered the car through the passenger side window and removed her from the vehicle to make the arrest.
According to police, the woman appeared to be significantly under the influence of alcohol. She declined to take a breath test and upon arrival at Kempsey Police Station, she reportedly provided insufficient samples for testing on three separate occasions.
The woman now faces multiple charges, including dangerous driving while being pursued by police. Her driving licence has been suspended, and she has been granted conditional bail, with a court appearance scheduled at Kempsey Local Court on March 6.