Police have arrested and charged an 18-year-old Oakey man with multiple offences after a crime spree that ended with him allegedly threatening a 69-year-old woman with a knife as he carjacked her vehicle in Ipswich this morning.
Police say that at around 10.30am today, an unmarked police vehicle noticed a stolen white sedan on Haig Street, Ipswich. The vehicle had allegedly been stolen from a Raceview address around 7.10am the same morning.
“Polair followed the white sedan for a period of time, relaying information to crews on the ground,” Queensland Police said in a statement.
“The vehicle travelled onto the Warrego Highway heading westbound towards Toowoomba before crashing into a vehicle at Helidon Spa sometime around 11.20am.”
The two occupants of the second vehicle, a man and woman, were transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
“The male driver and sole occupant of the white sedan fled across the median strip of the Warrego Highway and entered the front passenger seat of a red SUV, which had slowed and stopped due to the crash,” QPS said.
“Police will allege the man, armed with a sharp implement, threatened the 69-year-old female driver – and sole occupant – forcing her to drive away from the scene.
“Police vehicles followed the SUV forcing it to slow and stop at Hatton Vale at around 11.40am where the female driver fled from the vehicle and police arrested the male passenger.”
An 18-year-old Oakey man is due to appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court tomorrow charged with one count each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed and disqualified driving, disobey a police direction; and unlawful entry of a motor vehicle for committing an indictable offence, armed robbery, deprivation of liberty and serious assault of a person over 60.
If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.
