UPDATED

A man has been charged with several offences after he allegedly assaulted a woman with an axe, stole her classic sports car then led police in a pursuit across the South Coast on Saturday which ended when the car collided with another vehicle in Kiama Downs.

After the crash, members of the public restrained the man until police were able to arrest him.

The blue Mustang travelled at high speeds while dangerously heading north in the southbound lanes and several motorists thankfully avoided crashing into the car amid the mayhem.

After the crash, the driver of the Mustang was arrested and taken to Wollongong Hospital under police guard.

The 25-year-old man was released from hospital on Sunday and taken to Wollongong Police Station where he was charged with 11 offences:

• Aggravated take/drive motor vehicle with person in/on it-armed with weapon
• Fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm
• Fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury
• Police pursuit - not stop - drive dangerously
• Class A motor vehicle exceed speed greater than 45 km/h
• Custody of a knife in public place
• Use etc offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention (two counts)
• Goods in personal custody suspected being stolen (not motor vehicle)
• Drive motor vehicle during disqualification period
• Larceny

He was also charged with three outstanding offences being destroy or damage property (DV), assault occasioning actual bodily harm (DV) and larceny.

He was refused bail to appear at Bail Division Court 3 on Monday (14 July).

Police had been called to Rayleigh Drive, Worrigee, shortly before 1pm on Saturday after reports of a man who was armed with an axe and hammer.

As officers attached to South Coast Police District arrived on scene, a man allegedly threw the axe at the police vehicle.

The man retrieved the axe then ran to a home in Illawarra Circuit where he allegedly assaulted a 66-year-old woman while she was sitting in her Ford Mustang.

Police will allege the man hit the woman multiple times with the axe before forcing her out of the car; the woman was then run over by her own car as the man drove it away.

The woman was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics for multiple leg and torso injuries before being taken to Shoalhaven Memorial Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

The woman was transferred to St George Hospital for further treatment.

Following an extensive search of the area, police – with assistance from PolAir – located the vehicle about 2pm on the Princes Highway heading south and initiated a pursuit after the driver allegedly failed to stop when directed.

The pursuit continued through Nowra, Bomaderry, Berry, Gerringong, and Kiama during which the sports allegedly reached speeds of 180km/h in an 80km/h speed zone.

During the pursuit, officers attached to Traffic and Highway Patrol Command attempted to use road spikes to stop the driver; however, the driver allegedly swerved the vehicle towards a highway patrol officer narrowly missing him and the spikes.

The pursuit ended after the sports car was seen driving on the opposite side of the Princes Highway at Kiama Downs, where it collided with a utility before stopping.

The driver of the ute was also taken to Wollongong Hospital for assessment.

Police established a crime scene and – following a search of the Mustang – seized an axe and hammer for forensic examination.

Inquiries into the incident continue.

A motorist is airlifted to hospital following an accident near Gerringong on Saturday. Photo Peter McGuinness/Facebook

Earlier in the day, a car and motorcycle were involved in a crash on the Princes Highway near Gerringong around 11am and a man in his 40s was flown to a hospital in Sydney for further treatment in a serious condition.

The Princes Highway was closed southbound at Rose Valley Road due to the crash with traffic diverted off the highway at the Fern Street exit while emergency services cleared the scene.

Another motorcyclist was injured in a crash with a car further up the highway at Kiama Heights earlier in the morning. The motorcyclist was taken to Wollongong Hospital with minor injuries.