Truckies in citizens’ arrest after driver crashes allegedly stolen car

A former police officer has told of the moment he helped pin a man down who was fleeing on foot covered in blood after allegedly crashing a stolen car. NEW PICTURES, VIDEO

A former police officer has told of the moment he helped pin a man to the ground who was fleeing on foot covered in blood after allegedly crashing a stolen car.

The Mackay-based truck driver, who asked to have his name withheld, said he heard on the UHF radio reports of steam coming out of a vehicle on the Peak Downs Highway at Greenmount, about 20 minutes west of Mackay.

“I got out and saw someone running,” the former NSW police officer said.

“Obviously it was the guy (from the crash) because he had blood all over him.

“I thought, ‘Well, we’ll just apprehend (him).’”

Emergency crews arrived at the scene shortly after 9am, where police officers discovered the wreckage of a white Toyota HiLux.

Senior Constable Gibson said the driver narrowly avoided crashing into a family car.

Eton Police Station Senior Constable David Gibson said early investigations indicated the driver of the ute had been travelling at speed before overtaking a vehicle and crashing into a truck, narrowly avoiding hitting a car with a family inside.

The crashed ute.

It is understood the ute had earlier been stolen, and the driver had been drink-driving at 150km/hr through roadworks while there was methamphetamines in his system.

Truckies have wrangled a driver to the ground after he allegedly crashed a stolen vehicle. Photo: Heidi Petith

The truckie, who was among the first on scene, said it was instinct and partly being “really sick of these young blokes stealing stuff” that propelled him to do the citizen’s arrest along with a fellow truck driver.

The scene of the crash.

“I knew what to do, it sort of didn’t really phase me,” he said.

“We just put him on his tummy, and pretty much put him in a wrist lock.”

A man has been taken to hospital after he allegedly crashed a stolen car at Greenmount, west of Mackay.

The truckie said the man was “very agitated”, thirsty, was grinding his teeth, and his eyes were “rolling to the back of his head”.

“I was in the (police force for) 24 years, you can imagine if he’d come around the corner and hit a family with kids in it,” he said.

“I’ve been to that many fatalities with young kids … it’s heartbreaking.”

A Queensland Police Service spokeswoman said as of 2.30pm, no charges had been laid.

The driver of the ute had earlier been taken to a Mackay hospital for treatment and further assessment.