18yo, teenagers arrested over Calder Highway pursuit

An 18-year-old man and a teenager are set to face court over a police pursuit on the Calder Highway involving a stolen vehicle. The 17-year-old has been charged with dangerous driving, while the 18-year-old faces a charge of driving in a dangerous manner. The 18-year-old's bail application was postponed pending a youth justice assessment.

Known as the ringleader behind several alleged youth crimes in Victoria's north-west, Lucky Tambo from Manor Lakes has been charged with speeding in a dangerous manner, multiple vehicle thefts, and burglary. Five youths, aged 13 to 18, broke into Sunraysia Community Health Services on October 26 and stole car keys before Tambo used a hammer to crack open a safe.

All five cars were later recovered from locations in Mildura. Another incident involved the theft of a 2021 MG HS wagon from a driveway in Belmont on November 5, leading to a high-speed chase along the Calder Highway that day. Police seized eight videos from the youths' phones, one showing Tambo driving at 158 km/h and another depicting a 17-year-old being pursued at speeds of 175 km/h.

The pursuit began after police spotted the car speeding at 146 km/h at Culgoa, 320km from Melbourne. Tambo was described as the eldest offender, and a magistrate deemed the allegations very serious, ordering a youth justice assessment to determine bail options. Tambo, the only adult among the group, will return to court on November 20, while his 17-year-old co-accused is on strict bail conditions and faces court on December 6.