Hoons in Victoria try to run down cops

Two hoons who tried three times to mow down police officers on a freeway in southeast Melbourne are still on the run.

Detectives spotted the pair performing illegal U-turns at Rowville in cars with stolen number plates in the early hours of Saturday morning and followed them onto the Monash Freeway.

The officers got out of their car and approached the vehicles which were at a standstill because of roadworks, but both drivers sped off ramming several other cars, while one of the drivers reversed straight at the officers, who managed to get out of the way.

The other driver also sped at the detectives, who again avoided injury, before the first car made another attempt to mow them down, forcing one detective to jump over a concrete barrier for protection.

The first driver then did a U-turn and drove against traffic to escape.

Police have released images of models of the cars they're looking for and have appealed for public help to find the offenders.