A blue Ford sedan, reported stolen from a residence in Port Augusta, sparked a high-speed chase after it was spotted leaving a local petrol station yesterday morning around 10:30 AM. The vehicle’s unauthorized journey began on Friday afternoon, but it was its appearance in Whyalla, approximately 75 kilometers south of Port Augusta, that prompted an aerial pursuit by police helicopters at around 1:30 PM.

The car continued its escape along Iron Knob Road, eventually veering west onto the Eyre Highway in the direction of Kimba. During the chase, the vehicle reached alarming speeds of up to 180 km/h, occasionally risking traffic safety by driving on the wrong side of the road.

In a tactical move, authorities managed to briefly intercept the car when it paused at a rest stop around 2:40 PM. This pause provided the police with a crucial opportunity to deploy road spikes in an effort to bring the high-speed escapade to a halt.

Police said the car hit speeds about 180km/h and was at times driving on the wrong side of the road.

The car briefly stopped at a rest stop about 2.40pm, allowing police to lay down road spikes.

The Ford hit the spikes and continued driving for about two kilometres before crashing.

The driver, a 33-year-old Hilton man, was found unconscious, with police attempting to revive him.

However, he was pronounced dead at the scene.

The death will be investigated as a death in custody, as the man was evading police at the time of the crash.

Police claim the decision to use road spikes was done to protect the safety of other drivers.

Major crash investigators initially attended the scene yesterday, and returned this morning to complete their investigation.

A report will be prepared for the coroner.