Woman car-jacked after police pursuit at Ballan

An armed bandit who carjacked a woman with a Taser at Ballan on Monday is still on the run.

Police are continuing their search for the thief who led authorities on a high-speed chase along the Western Freeway before carjacking the 53-year-old Maryborough woman.

Police first began chasing the man, who was driving a grey coloured Toyota Kluger, in the Gordon area at 8.40am.

It is understood the vehicle was displaying stolen plates.

It was towing a trailer containing a motorbike, which detached from the Kluger on Coffeys Road at Springbank during the chase.

The pursuit continued onto the Melbourne-bound lanes of the Western Freeway before it was terminated due to safety concerns.

A short time later, at 8.45am, the driver dumped the Kluger in the carpark at the BP service station at Ballan, before confronting the woman who was sitting in the driver’s seat of her parked car.

The man, wielding a Taser, forced the woman to hand over her keys and stole her car, a white Honda Civic with registration XYF 028.

The woman was not injured during the hold-up.

Staff and customers at the service station told The Courier they did not see anything, but CCTV footage is being examined by investigators.

Police say the Honda Civic sped down the freeway towards Melbourne. It has not been recovered.

Two crime scenes were established, one where the trailer became detached from the first vehicle and one at the Ballan service station.

It is believed the Victoria Police canine unit and the air wing both assisted the search Anyone with information is urged to call Crime Stoppers on  1800 333 000.