EXCLUSIVE: A tradie on his way to a job site has chased after a Jeep SUV that was stolen just 30 minutes prior from a Caboolture family while they slept.
Security vision shows the suspected teen thief pushing other family vehicles out of the way before he flees, taking out a parked car on the way.
The car’s owners, who spoke exclusively to 9News, said they have no idea how the thief managed to get inside the car.
“I came out, went ‘how the hell did that happen’, then told the cops,” said Gary Clothier.
“It’s a bit concerning because there could have been house keys in there, if it’s a set that we normally carry. Now I’m going to have to change all the locks.”
Tradie Damien Harrison saw the stolen car on the Bruce Highway near Caboolture and followed it.
“We came to a stop, I ran up to his car, opened the door and went to grab his keys out. It’s just an instant thought,” Harrison said.
“I thought someone’s going to get killed here, I need to try and do what I can to prevent this from happening.
“He was struggling to see over the dash – it’s not something you tend to experience on a Friday morning.”
The thief was spooked, exiting the highway and turning onto Gympie Road at Lawnton, where he ditched the car.
Queensland Police have asked anyone with relevant vision or information to come forward.
