An 18-year-old man has been charged over a “terrifying” attempted carjacking in Melbourne’s northern suburbs.
A woman was stopped in traffic outside Broadmeadows Central on Coleraine Street about 5.30pm yesterday when the man allegedly opened a rear passenger door of the Toyota Kluger and climbed into the car.
The Roxburgh Park woman wrestled with the man while her two children, aged five and seven, were strapped in the backseat.
The driver jumped out of the car and tried to pull the man out of the backseat, but was pushed to the ground.
He allegedly then climbed over the car’s centre console into the driver’s seat and tried to lock the car doors.
The woman jumped into the front passenger seat before he began driving down Pascoe Vale Road.
The woman and man allegedly fought to take control of the car, causing it to cross onto the wrong side of the road and crash into a railway fence.
Numerous witnesses ran to help the woman and children and held the man until police arrived.
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Peter Daher witnessed the distressing incident.
“You know, kidnapping kids to steal a car. I don’t know what to say. I’m about to tear (up) because of what’s happened,” he said.
“It’s not right. It’s not right.”
An 18-year-old man from Broadmeadows has since been charged with carjacking, theft of motor vehicle and other offences.
He was denied bail today, with the magistrate saying the accused was a danger to himself and the public.
The court heard that, half an hour before the alleged carjacking, the accused tried to steal another vehicle with a child inside near the shopping centre but the driver was able to lock the door and speed off.
The 18-year-old will face court again in June.
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