Stolen Mercedes in East Melbourne Hit-Run

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Victoria Police are probing a serious hit-run in East Melbourne that involved a stolen luxury vehicle, leaving two people injured. The incident occurred at approximately 9:00 pm on Wednesday, 23 July, at the intersection of Hoddle and Freeman streets. According to investigators, a stolen black Mercedes-Benz GLE 350 collided with a black Mazda 2, triggering a chain-reaction crash involving a blue Hyundai i30 and a white Volkswagen T-Cross.

Emergency services arrived promptly. The male driver of the Hyundai and the female driver of the Volkswagen were taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Victoria Police confirmed.

Police say occupants of the stolen Mercedes fled the scene on foot before emergency responders arrived. The vehicle had been reported stolen from Bundoora on 19 July, adding complexity to the investigation.

To date, two arrests have been made in connection with the incident. Detectives from the Yarra Crime Investigation Unit are continuing inquiries and appealing to the public to assist with any information that may help establish the full circumstances of the crash.

Authorities are urging anyone who was driving in the vicinity at the time to review dash-cam footage for relevant imagery. Police are particularly interested in footage capturing the collision or the movements of the stolen Mercedes before or after the crash.

The theft of the Mercedes remains under investigation, with detectives seeking precise details of how the vehicle was taken and whether others may have been involved. The potential involvement of additional individuals at the scene is also being explored.

Victoria Police have not yet confirmed whether formal charges have been laid, nor released the identities of the arrested individuals. Further updates are expected as the investigation progresses.

Police reiterate the ongoing public appeal: any driver in the area between Hoddle and Freeman streets shortly before or after 9:00 pm on 23 July is urged to check any dash-cam or CCTV footage. Witnesses or those with mobile device recordings are encouraged to come forward.

Anyone with information that may assist is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online via the Crime Stoppers Victoria website.

This incident highlights the dangers of reckless driving and the ongoing issue of stolen vehicles posing risks in high-traffic urban areas.