A WOMAN has been taken to hospital and a man has been arrested after he allegedly crashed into her while trying to escape police at Lake Macquarie.
Officers tried to pull over a Ford Territory SUV on Seventh Avenue at Speers Point at about 9.30am on Thursday.
Police claim the Ford failed to stop and crashed into two vehicles a short time later at the intersection of Seventh Avenue and T C Frith Avenue.
The Ford driver allegedly fled the scene.
One of the vehicles he crashed into was not occupied, but the other was a Toyota Yaris being driven by a 30-year-old woman.
Officers responding to the incident - which involved several police vehicles swarming the scene - called on ambulance paramedics and the woman was treated for a suspected back injury.
She was taken to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in a stable condition.
Lake Macquarie highway patrol officers arrested a 34-year-old Karuah man a short time later, and allege he was the man behind the wheel of the Ford.
He was taken to Belmont hospital for mandatory testing before he was transported to Toronto Police Station.
He was charged with police pursuit, driving while disqualified, and having custody of an offensive implement in a public place.
He was refused bail by police and was expected to spend the night behind bars before fronting Toronto Local Court for the first time on Friday, March 1.
