Police have declared a critical incident investigation after a car chase in Ballina ended in a crash Friday night.
Richmond Police District officers say they tried to stop a car on the Pacific Highway in Ballina shortly after 7.30pm Friday and then started what they described as a ‘low-speed pursuit’.
Shortly afterwards, the car crashed head-on into a truck.
Police say paramedics treated a male driver of the car before he was airlifted to Gold Coast University Hospital in critical condition.
The Pacific Highway was closed in both directions at West Ballina just south of the Bruxner Highway and drivers were told to allow for an extra hour and a half travel time via alternative routes.
Emergency services and traffic crews were still at the scene Saturday morning with one northbound lane and all southbound lanes reopened around 8am and the highway fully reopened by 10am.
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