Vic man hurt as thief steals his car

A man who tried to stop a thief stealing his car was left for dead in a Melbourne street after he was crushed between the car and a pole.

The victim intervened in the theft in a Port Melbourne street about 8.30pm, police said.

He tried to enter the back door but was wedged between a pole and the door.

The thief drove off, leaving the victim on the road, then dumped the car nearby and fled.

The victim, believed to be a man in his 30s, was taken to hospital in a critical condition.