Melbourne Express: Thursday, February 23, 2017

That's it from me for today's Express blog. Thanks for sticking with me through the (early) morning.

I will be back tomorrow (Friday February 24) from 6am for another crack, Craig Butt will make his triumphant return next week.

Make sure you get outside and enjoy the lovely weather today, Expressers!

Wrapping up the headlines from this morning, it's been all about chases and crashes. Stay safe out there, Melbourne.

• A white Barina with at least three people inside was involved in a police chase around Melbourne's south eastern suburbs. One man arrested, and another is still at-large after the car was dumped at Narre Warren. Deb Gough will have a new story on this shortly, keep your eye on The Age website.
• Two cars collided and one flipped onto its roof, closing Caroline Springs Boulevard and creating traffic in the area.
• A truck knocked down powerlines on Racecourse Road near Bellair Street in Flemington. "Huge delays" for traffic in the area, part of Racecourse Road remains closed after 9am, and trams on the road were cancelled. 

An update to a story we shared earlier this morning: 

Victoria speaker Telmo Languiller has swiftly moved to head off an expense scandal after claiming almost $40,000 to live away from his electorate in Queenscliff, promising to repay the money in full, reports Josh Gordon.

In a statement, the Labor Party MP who represents the electorate Tarneit admitted the claim did not meet community expectations.

"I will repay the allowance I received in full."

Read more here.

Question time: Speaker Telmo Languiller. Photo: Jason South

Looks like there's been a crash in Cheltenham, Nepean Highway closed inbound but there is an alternate route at Beach Road.

Buses are delayed by an earlier traffic incident:

"Due to an earlier traffic incident on Keilor Road, routes 475, 476 and 501 are delayed by 20 minutes in both directions."

A senior police officer is pushing for a 2am lockout to be introduced on Sydney Road in Brunswick, 3AW reports.

The push would aim to prevent alcohol-fuelled violence at pubs and clubs on the road.

Mark Zirnsak from the VAPC told Ross and John it was a good idea.

"The evidence is very strong," he said. "The earlier you close - the less harm that happens."

What's your reaction to the proposed lockout?

Sydney Road, Brunswick, is a humming hotspot and an attractive proposition for buyers. Photo: Vince Caligiuri

Express reader Aaron Miles says he's disappointed at how Yarra Trams have handled this morning's power failure on Racecourse Road in Flemington.

"No one from yarra trams appears to be telling people on the affected 57 route that no trams? People waiting at stops for no reason. I walked from Newmarket to the show grounds and had to tell people at every stop to stop waiting. Pretty poor unfortunately."

The last Yarra Trams Twitter update: passenger's can consider the Craigieburn or Upfield train lines. Replacement buses are being organised.

A truck brought down power lines earlier this morning.

A stolen car wash cash machine started this morning's police chase.

One man has been arrested and a second is on the run after a police chase through Melbourne's eastern suburbs, Deborah Gough reports.

Police began pursuing a Holden Barina with stolen plates after an attempted theft of a cash machine at a car wash on Homestead Road, Berwick around 4.18am.

The stolen number plates had the registration of UEE-212. The car was later dumped in Anaconda Road, Narre Warren, where police arrested a 23-year-old Garfield man.

Police are still looking for the second man, who remains at-large.

It's all been about police chases and car crashes this morning, and I may have overlooked the weather. Apologies!

After yesterday's top of 35 degrees, today will be much fresher, reaching a max of 25 degrees.

Just after 8am it was 18 degrees in the city, with beautiful clear skies hovering above. There's a 20 per cent chance it will drizzle this evening.

The Bureau of Meteorology said the cool change hit Melbourne late last night:

Looks like a tractor outlet in Hastings on the Mornington Peninsula may have been hit in a ram raid.

3AW tweeted the below. Do you know more? Get in touch via email or on Twitter @EmilyHWoods.

Back to the police pursuit, which stirred up a lot of interest on 3AW this morning

Caller "Bruce" saw the Barina on the Monash Freeway this morning. "He tried to push me over," Bruce said, then turned headlights off, did u-turn on the freeway and exited via the wrong ramp.

It's believed police are calling for witnesses, doorknocking neighbours near Narre Warren where the car was dumped earlier.

Items retrieved by police from the abandoned vehicle include angle grinder and number places, according to Ten News. One person still on the run.

Food for thought:

Here's an awful story from our friends in NSW.

An Illawarra mother found a used syringe in the bottom her baby's ugg boot, Angela Thompson at the Illawarra Mercury reports.

Suzi Meyer pulled two pairs of boots from the store shelves last Friday for her daughters Ember, 3, and Raven, 1. 

Little Ember wore the shoes immediately, but it wasn't until Monday that Ms Meyer cut the tags of the smaller set and readied them for Raven. 

She was searching the boots for paper stuffing when her hand closed around something plastic wedged lengthways between the heel and the toe. It was a pointy syringe, with a cap covering the top.

"It was pushed right to the bottom of the boot. I pulled it out and looked at it and froze."

Back to Racecourse Road in Flemington, where a truck took down power lines this morning.

The area is still closed, police directing traffic.

A number of tools and other items have been seized from the white Barina involved in a police chase this morning.

Some of the offenders are aged as young as 17, Nine News reports.

The Barina was dumped in Narre Warren but has since been towed from the scene. Two people remain on the run, one has been taken into police custody.

Barina being towed in Narre Warren. Photo: Twitter/@9NewsMelb

More on traffic, one lane is closed southbound on Frankston-Dandenon Road near the Frankston Freeway, due to a truck breakdown. 

"Expect delays on the approach," VicRoads says.

We're hearing the police are directing traffic city-bound at Racecourse Road, after a truck hit power lines.

The road is blocked both ways on approach to Newmarket rail bridge, and the delays are huge.

Major delays on Ballarat Road and SMithfield Road. Ballarat Road from Victoria University all the way in, Epsom Road and Ascot Vale Road are also heavy.

Ascot Vale Road northbound is blocked at the racecourse, due to construction works.

The power lines have also impacted trams - route 57 tram passengers are urged to consider the Craigieburn or Upfield train lines, and replacement buses are being organised.

Transport update:

- The R841 7.48am Narre Warren Nth to Cranbourne bus has been cancelled for today due to operational constraints.

- Tram route 57 update: Passengers can consider the Craigieburn or Upfield train lines. Replacement buses are being organised. This is after the power lines that came down on Racecourse Rd.

Here's a photo of the scene on Racecourse Road, where a truck brought down powerlines near Newmarket train station.

There are significant delays on the road. The road is closed near Bellair Street.

Paramedics are at the scene of the Caroline Springs car flip, reports Deborah Gough.

Two people have been assessed at the scene but not transported to hospital.

It looks like firefighters were also there: