A man has been charged with a string of driving offences after he allegedly stole a newspaper delivery car from a Wagga service station and used it to lead police on a high-speed chase.
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Police have said the Hyundai Accent, which was fully-loaded with Saturday papers, had been momentarily left unattended at the Ampol on the corner of Edward and Docker streets when it was taken about 6.30am on Saturday, March 16.
At the time, the car was being used to deliver papers from the Topsy Turvey Newsagency, which took to social media to alert its customers across the city's northern suburbs to the incident and subsequent delivery delays.
"Attention delivery customers in North Wagga, Estella and Gobbagombalin. Unfortunately the car that was delivering your papers has been stolen, fully loaded," the business wrote on Facebook about 9am.
"We have managed to wrangle enough papers to deliver out to you all. Needless to say they will be late."
Police were notified as soon as the car was taken and officers began searching for it.
The Hyundai was spotted at Glenfield Park and Ashmont a short time later but a NSW Police spokesperson said the driver did not stop when directed.
The car was later seen travelling on the Sturt Highway at Bulgary - between Collingullie and Galore - about 7.30am, but police said the driver again failed to stop.
"A pursuit was initiated with road spikes deployed at Sandigo, deflating the vehicle's tyres," the spokesperson said.
"The car came to a stop and the driver, a 47-year-old man, was arrested."
The man was taken to Wagga police station and charged with multiple driving offences.
The charges included taking and driving a vehicle without the owner's consent, negligent driving, driving with a cancelled licence, exceeding the speed limit by more than 45km/h (estimated), and not stopping and driving recklessly during a police pursuit.
The man was refused bail and is due to face Wagga court on Sunday, March 17.