Elderly woman carjacked in teen’s wild crime spree


An 18-year-old man has been charged over a terrifying crime spree across Ipswich this morning, which included armed robbery and the deprivation of liberty of an elderly woman.

The teenager allegedly crashed a stolen car on a major highway and fled the scene by jumping into a 69-year-old woman's car and threatening her with a weapon.

Police will allege that the 18-year-old Oakey man was driving a stolen white sedan when it was noticed by police in Haig St, Ipswich, about 10.30am Tuesday.

The car was being tracked by Polair and police vehicles when it crashed into another car on the Warrego Highway westbound at Helidon Spa about 11.20am.

The man allegedly then fled across the median strip of the Warrego Highway and entered the front passenger seat of a red SUV, that had stopped because of the crash.

He threatened the elderly driver with a sharp implement and forced her to drive away, police will allege.

Police followed the SUV before forcing it to slow and stop at Hatton Vale around 11.40am.

The woman fled the car and police arrested the man.

The man was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, unlicensed and disqualified driving, disobey a police direction, unlawful entry of a motor vehicle for committing an indictable offence, armed robbery, deprivation of liberty and serious assault of a person over 60-years-old.

He is due to face Ipswich Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

The occupants of the other car involved in the Warrego Highway crash sustained non-life-threatening injuries.

Originally published as Elderly woman carjacked in teen's wild crime spree

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