Headrests hurled at chasing cop cars during wild, high-speed pursuit across Orange

Charissa Lynn Carr of Goorawin Road, appeared in Orange Local Court on Wednesday, February 7, 2024, for a series of driving offences, including leading police on the pursuit.

Solicitor Taras Maksymczuk said 35-year-old Carr accepted her driving was reckless and dangerous and didn't stop because one of her passengers had warrants for his arrest. She claims she was told not to pull over.

Magistrate David Day however described that as "muddle-headed logic".

"Isn't it? She's helping him on the run, she's actually helping him go on the run," Mr Day said.

However, Mr Maksymczuk said there was more to the issue.

"She had fears for her safety," he said.

"When the pursuit started that's when [he] disclosed to her that he had a warrant and he didn't want to go into custody.

"She thought he had a firearm."

However, police prosecutor Sergeant Carl Smith said if she was scared of one of the passengers and if she believed he had a firearm she should have stayed with the car when the others ran away.

"If she knows he has a gun she stops," Sergeant Smith said, and then raised both hands in the air as if to surrender saying she should have said "he has a gun".

"She was already driving at speed in an erratic manner when we wanted to pull her over."

According to court documents, Carr had an extensive traffic record and was subject to good behaviour orders for previous offences and her driver's licence was already disqualified when police saw the Kia Rio she was driving at 10.13pm on October 23, 2023.

Due to the vehicle's erratic manner, police decided to stop the Kia Rio for roadside testing on Dalton Street.

However, the Kia Rio accelerated harshly, increasing its speed while travelling the distance of Dalton Street and overtaking a vehicle which was travelling onto Burrendong Way.

As a result police initiated a pursuit.

The Kia Rio travelled north on Burrendong Way at 110km/h in a 60km/h zone and Carr drove in the centre of the road and often crossed to the incorrect side when there was no oncoming traffic.

The vehicle drove for about 14 kilometres on Burrendong Way increasing its speed to 150km/h in a 100km/h zone.

The Kia Rio drove into a ditch while attempting to turn right onto Long Point Road.

At the same time, police approached from the side with high-beam lights and saw that she had two passengers.

On Long Point Road the car increased speed, varying from 80km/h to 100km/h, before turning right onto Lookout Road where most of the road was unsealed dirt and, in some patches, poor quality.

Despite that condition, the vehicle travelled for the full nine kilometres on Lookout Road at close to 100km/h.

It turned right onto Ophir Road back towards Orange and accelerated to 120km/h using most of the road, often proceeding to the wrong side of the road, but there was no oncoming traffic.

Police set up tyre deflation devices on Ophir Road in an attempt to stop the Kia.

Although a successful spike was believed to have been achieved, the vehicle continued towards Orange.

Carr turned right onto the Northern Distributor Road heading west and increased speed to 150km/h before overtaking a truck travelling in the same direction.

While on the Northern Distributor Road, the backseat passenger began throwing the head rests from the vehicle's seats towards the police.

The Kia made its way onto Ploughman's Lane driving at 100km/h in the 50km/h zone and the pursuit continued through Racecourse Road and Woodward Road.

Police terminated the pursuit due to safety concerns for members of the public after the Kia travelled onto the wrong side of the divided road on Summer Street.

However, they kept an eye on the Kia and saw it turn onto Peisley Street.

A short time later, the police were travelling south on Peisley Street and could both see smoke and smell burning rubber. Moments later they located the vehicle travelling at a very low speed before the occupants ran from the vehicle. Police chased the three occupants on foot and managed to stop the driver.

The passenger, who was throwing the head rests, was also arrested and was also the man who was wanted for a number of outstanding warrants.

According to the police documents, the pursuit spanned about 60 kilometres in distance and went for 34 minutes.

Mr Maksymczuk said Carr started counselling and medication for drug and mental health issues and she was previously an active member of society working for NSW Health until her drug use took hold.

He asked the court to grant her a community-based sentence for the pursuit and lesser sentences for three disqualified driving offences.

Mr Day said Carr "had been disqualified for quite some time" at the time of the pursuit.

"The main concern is that she's on conditional liberty with conditions to be of good behaviour, not commit further offences, yet she's quite willing to drive a motor vehicle," he said.

"The police pursuit seems to be a prevalent offence in the Central West, it's not just me making the observation, my colleagues ... say the same thing."

Mr Day said community safety was a primary consideration for sentencing.

"Miss Carr's willingness to get behind the wheel of a motor vehicle makes her far too dangerous to be in the community."

Mr Day sentenced her to full-time jail for the pursuit and driving while her licence was disqualified on August 11 and 19, 2023, and again on October 23.

She was given an overall sentence of seven months of full-time jail from February 7, 2024 to September 6, 2024 with a three-month non-parole period until May 6, 2024.

She made no visible reaction when she was taken into custody in the courtroom and had previously spent 28 days in custody while refused bail for the offence.

Her drivers licence was also disqualified for six months for the disqualified driving offences and she was disqualified for two years for the police pursuit.