SIX youths are facing a string of charges following a North East joyride that hit speeds of 220km/h in a stolen car on Wednesday.
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Police have charged a 17-year-old boy and two boys aged 14 from the Geelong region with car theft, arson, dangerous driving and petrol theft.
Two 16-year-old girls and a 15-year-old boy have been charged with car theft, and a seventh person has been released pending further inquiries.
Police revealed further details of the joyride yesterday and are asking for witnesses to come forward.
The joyride started in Geelong when six youths in a stolen silver Holden sedan drove to Avenel and stole about $55 worth of fuel.
They then headed to Wodonga, reaching speeds of 220km/h, and picked up another youth before heading back towards Wangaratta.
Several motorists called triple-0 and police attempted to stop the car but it accelerated, reaching speeds of about 180km/h.
The car travelled through Glenrowan and Benalla, ran through red lights and drove on the wrong side of the road.
Police cordoned off the vehicle in Devenish, and the youths set the car alight before running through paddocks and being arrested.
Detective Acting Sergeant Simon Hunter said the driving had put many road users and pedestrians at risk.
“The conduct of these young people was incredibly reckless and dangerous and it directly impacted the safety of not only themselves, but other road users and the public,” he said.
“The consequences of driving at those speeds and their lack of driving experience could quite easily have resulted in an accident where lives could have been lost.”
