Wodonga Acting Sergeant Mark Paynter said police received reports of a petrol drive-off in Rutherglen about 1pm involving a white Toyota Lexcen with stolen plates ZFS-239.

“Police attempted to intercept the car in Wodonga at Silva Drive and it failed to stop – it’s then gone over into Albury.”

Albury police boxed in the Lexcen outside the Albury Garden Court Motel on David Street about 2.30pm, but the driver allegedly reversed into a Mercedes and sped off.

A witness said the owners of the Mercedes were due to trade in the car just half an hour later.

“The police did the right thing by not chasing him, they just looked after the people,” he said.

The Lexcen, which was involved in a road rage incident on Melrose Drive in Wodonga on Tuesday, was then seen driving towards Wodonga on the Lincoln Causeway. Police then received information the car had been dumped at Vienna Court.

The man fled on foot and was arrested by police outside a home on the corner of Huons Hill Road and Maxwell Drive just before 3pm.

The 22-year-old Albury man, who knew people at Vienna Court but did not live there, was known to police.

Wodonga Detective Sergeant Graeme Simpfendorfer said the man made an application for bail and was refused, instead remanded in custody to appear in Wodonga Court on Monday.

“He’s been charged with two charges of theft – one of those is the petrol drive-off in Rutherglen and another at Cobram; at least two charges of evade police, conduct endangering life, and we expect more charges,” he said.

Police were also waiting for drug test results.

“We’re pleased we’ve been able to get him away from the vehicle; there are obviously risks involved with pursuits,” Detective Simpfendorfer said.

“It’s been managed well on both sides of the Border.”