Police chase crash leaves 80 year old fighting for life

An 80 year old man is fighting for his life after his car collided with an unmarked police vehicle during a pursuit through Perth''s southern suburbs.

The crash happened at the intersection of South Street and Beasley Road in Leeming at about 10:50am on Monday, 12 October 2026. Firefighters freed the man from his Hyundai before he was taken to Royal Perth Hospital with life threatening injuries.

Two police officers were also taken to hospital for treatment. A 27 year old man was arrested following the pursuit.

The sequence before the crash

According to reporting of the police account, a grey Renault Koleos was allegedly stolen in White Gum Valley at about 3:10am that morning.

The West Australian reported that officers spotted the vehicle on Albany Highway in Maddington at about 10:35am. The pursuit passed through Kenwick, Langford and Canning Vale before reaching Leeming, where the collision occurred around 15 minutes later.

The Hyundai was turning across South Street into Beasley Road when it collided with the police vehicle. The ABC reported that it understood the unmarked vehicle was using flashing lights and a siren.

How the morning unfolded

Arrest after helicopter tracking

The Renault was tracked by the police helicopter to a caravan park in Coogee, where its driver reportedly abandoned it and fled on foot.

Police took a 27 year old man into custody. The allegations against him remain untested and he has not been named.

Internal affairs notified

The West Australian reported that the Major Crash Investigation Section is examining the collision and that Internal Affairs had been notified.

The notification was described as standard protocol following a pursuit related police vehicle crash. It does not itself indicate any finding of wrongdoing.

A police spokeswoman told the newspaper that any additional reviews of police actions would be considered under WA Police policies and procedures.