Pair on the run after car-jacking spree ends in explosive crash
A fiery crash between a stolen Audi and a B-double that sent toxic smoke into the air and closed the Logan Motorway south of Brisbane was the culmination of an hour-long crime spree spanning three suburbs.
The B-double truck, which initial reports suggested was carrying lithium batteries and pesticide, was rear-ended by the stolen Audi S5 on the Logan Motorway near Kingston and Loganlea about 8.15pm on Tuesday.
The truck continued to travel for a few hundred metres before it exploded into flames, sending plumes of toxic smoke into the air and triggering a health alert for nearby residents.
The truck driver escaped with minor injuries and was taken to Logan Hospital while eight fire crews battled the blaze and police established an exclusion zone and closed the motorway.
The driver and passenger in the Audi ran from the scene and were still at large on Wednesday afternoon.
Earlier, the pair had been travelling in a Ford Fiesta that collided with a white Mazda 3 on Grange Road in Eastern Heights, Ipswich, about 7.15pm, police said.
The crash between the Audi and a truck caused a massive fireball.Credit: Nine News
It was understood the pair used that opportunity to steal the Mazda 3 in which they were travelling when it collided with the Audi S5 on Inala Avenue in Durack about 7.55pm.
The pair then stole the Audi before travelling onto the Logan Motorway, where about 20 minutes later, it crashed into the B-double, police said.
“There’s the investigation obviously into the stolen vehicle and where that’s come from. And there’s also the investigation into the crash and fire,” Acting Inspector Adam Cordner said on Wednesday.
He said it was “incredibly lucky” that no one had been seriously injured in the spree, particularly in the explosive B-double crash.
The truck’s charred remains are removed from the scene.Credit: Nine News
Police were yet to determine how fast the Audi was travelling before it collided with the truck.
Anyone with information or relevant dashcam footage is urged to contact Policelink on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.