Four teenage boys have been charged after an allegedly stolen Toyota HiLux was driven at high speeds that led to a pursuit before it crashed into a police vehicle.
In a statement on Friday, ACT Policing said they received reports about 1.30pm on Thursday that the quartet - two 13 year olds and two 14 year olds - allegedly stole petrol at knifepoint at a Kippax 7-Eleven store.
Then shortly after midnight on Friday, police saw the HiLux at speed in Kaleen before it was seen allegedly being driven at 150km/h along Ginninderra Drive.
Police engaged in a short pursuit but had to terminate it due to community safety concerns.
The HiLux was found soon after travelling on Majura Avenue, Dickson, where police were able to successfully deploy stop sticks.
"As the vehicle slowed, the driver lost control, causing it to cross a median strip and collide head-on with a stationary police vehicle," the police statement alleges.
One officer was in the police vehicle and they suffered minor injuries not requiring hospital treatment.
Three of the boys were taken to hospital for assessment as they were not wearing seatbelts when the collision occurred.
Police allege that three of the four boys were already on bail for other charges.
The teens are now before the ACT Children's Court with one of them facing five charges: reckless driving, failing to stop for police, driving while licence never held, driving a stolen vehicle, and damaging a police vehicle.
On Friday, that teen did not apply for bail and it was formally refused.
His co-defendants are facing one count each of riding in or driving a stolen vehicle.
The latest young people arrested for driving-related charges comes as the Australian Federal Police Association called on the ACT government to conduct a review into "soft" sentences for offenders, saying officers are protecting the community only to be continually "let down" by the courts.
The association's call was prompted after a teen was recently spared full-time jail for "driving stupidly and dangerously" while he was "high on drugs" and ultimately crashing head-on with a police car in Canberra's inner north in late 2021.
Police are seeking witnesses to both the incident at 7-Eleven Kippax and the driving during the subsequent 12 hours.
Anyone who saw the HiLux at the 7-Eleven petrol station on Wednesday or who has dashcam footage of the vehicle driving after this incident should contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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