A chase after a car carrying migrants whose driver ignored an order by Croatian police to stop ended in Slovenia after the vehicle skidded off the road and hit a tree, the Croatian police said on Saturday.

The chase began in the Sisak-Moslavina County of central Croatia, when the driver of a car with Latvian number plates ignored the sound and light signals from the police to stop but continued driving to the motorway toll booths at Karlovac. He smashed through the toll barrier and continued south, ramming through the barrier at a motorway exit and continued driving towards Slovenia.

The car entered Slovenia at a former border crossing point and at some point skidded off the road and hit a tree. The driver was arrested and several foreign nationals were found in the car, Slovenian police said.

A criminal investigation is under way.