Dramatic end to rampage as driver allegedly rear-ends two cars and slams into light pole at speed in Albany

A man has been charged after allegedly leaving a trail of destruction from three separate crashes in the space of just a few minutes in the heart of Albany on Tuesday morning. Police will allege the offender rear-ended two cars, failed to stop and then drove at speed in Centennial Park before crashing at about 11.15am. The rampage came to an end on Lockyer Avenue in dramatic scenes as the man driving a SsangYong crashed into a light pole in the medium strip and became bogged near Orchard Street. His efforts to get the car moving failed and shrubs underneath the vehicle then caught fire, as nearby business owners rushed to put the blaze out. Police swarmed the scene and arrested the driver, as firefighters extinguished the small blaze. CCTV footage from a nearby business shows the alleged offender driving at speed up Lockyer Avenue and clipping a roundabout before he veers right and slams into the light pole. The driver was tested for both drugs and alcohol and police are awaiting results of those samples. Police say the man crashed into the back of a Toyota LandCruiser at the roundabout on Middleton and Campbell roads and then drove down Campbell Road before ploughing into the back of a Toyota Yaris at the roundabout of North and Campbell roads. The Yaris sustained significant rear-end damage in the incident. On both occasions, police say the driver of the SsangYong left the scene without stopping and another driver travelling in the opposite direction on Lockyer Avenue had to take evasive action after the vehicle sped around a slower vehicle and towards the oncoming traffic. A 42-year-old Albany man has been charged with reckless driving and two counts of failing to stop after an accident. He received police bail and is due to appear on the charges in Albany Magistrates Court on January 4. Lockyer Avenue was blocked in the aftermath of the crash and Western Power also attended.