How Rockhampton community helped to find stolen Dodge Ram worth $130k

The owner of a black Dodge Ram whose vehicle was stolen with his laptop and up to $15k worth of tools inside, says the community has had a ‘gutful’ of car thefts.

A $130,000 four-tonne black Dodge Ram before it was stolen, driven around Rockhampton for 15+hours before t-boning a sedan in a hit and run accident at the intersection of Thozet and Rockonia Roads in Koongal on February 8, 2025.

A construction company manager spent 15 hours on Saturday fielding messages from community members and calling police with updates about his stolen $130,000 four-tonne black Dodge Ram.

The owner, Jason (not his real name), spoke exclusively with The Morning Bulletin yesterday morning about his frustrations throughout the ordeal where he, some mates and colleagues, and other unknown community members tracked the vehicle which was reportedly seen travelling at speeds of up to 140 km/hr through suburban streets across the Rockhampton region.

He said when he heard the Ram which he has had for a mere three months had been involved in a t-bone crash, he was initially told the people in the other vehicle were in a ‘critical condition’.

“I was sick to my stomach (at the thought that my car was involved),” Jason said.

However, the couple, both in their 60s, only received minor lacerations to the head, and were not critical as Jason was initially told.

He said the thieves got into his rental property at Edenbrook sometime between 9.30pm and 5am on Friday night through the roller door of the garage and took the keys to his car from his bedside table while he slept.

Jason said there was between $10,000 and $15,000 worth of tools and a laptop in the Ram when it was stolen.

He said after reporting it stolen to police, he spent the next hour or so cancelling bank cards and other accounts and Queensland Police Service’s scenes of crime officers arrived about 1.5 hours after he reported the theft.

Jason said about 7am someone contacted him saying they had heard reports the Ram was in Koongal.

A black Dodge Ram was involved in a hit and run crash on the corner of Thozet and Rockonia Roads, Koongal, on February 8 about 9.40pm.

He said he jumped in a car with mates and went looking for it.

“They drove past me at least 15 times and I had to just sit there and shake my head,” Jason said.

Jason said they drove around for about 1.5 hours as they kept getting sighting reports and ended up chasing it, mainly around Berserker and along the Norman and Yeppoon roads’ area.

“We couldn’t keep up,” he said.

“The car’s pretty powerful.

“They were driving around in a four-tonne weapon…. many people could have died yesterday (Saturday).

“They were menacing the whole of Rockhampton… they were even out at Gracemere. They were everywhere.”

Jason said he spent the rest of the day calling police every hour or two with updates of sighting reports and at one stage, had been provided an address and name for a person accused of stealing the vehicle.

He said there were members of the public – people he didn’t know – chasing the car, too.

Jason said the community support that day was “unreal”.

“Everyone’s had a gutful of it (car theft),” he said.

Jason said one of his worker’s wives ran into Rockhampton MP Donna Kirkland on Sunday morning and raised the theft with her.

He said someone had reported the car had been at an address in their neighbourhood four times on Saturday and he heard reports the Ram was spotted in at least four fuel drive-offs that day.

Jason said after arriving there, they “shot past” as he arrived.

He said he was warned by police to not go back, nor continue chasing his stolen car, referring to what happened to other Rockhampton vigilantes in the past – such those who were charged with trespass after going to an alleged offender’s residence in May 2023 and Beau William Davidson who, armed with a machete, chased accused car thieves in suburban streets after they rammed his wife’s car.

Police forced to stand between a home in Norman Gardens and up to 100 vigilants who attended an anti-crime rally.

Jason said when he arrived at the scene of the t-bone crash (which occurred about 9.35pm, according to emergency services) after his car had been driven around Rockhampton region for at least 15 hours, officers at the scene told him it was believed the offenders had been “armed and dangerous” while joy-riding.

He said the whole experience was “very, very frustrating; very, very disheartening” because it took so long to stop the offenders driving the stolen Ram, but he was also heartened by the community response and reporting where the car was sighted throughout the day.

According the Queensland Police Services crime map, there were six unlawful use of a motor vehicles offences on Saturday in the Rockhampton region and 14 in total for the week of February 3-9, 2025.

In a separate incident, five people have been charged with nine offences in relation to the alleged theft of a white Toyota HiLux at the weekend.

Police will allege two teens and three adults stole the vehicle from Stanley St on Saturday and abandoned it on Sunday on Gladstone St.

No one has yet been charged in relation to the stolen Dodge Ram.

Beau William Davidson pleaded guilty on October 25 in Rockhampton Magistrates Court to one count each of dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and wilful damage of a motor vehicle.

The State Government in October vowed to find a “balance” between safety and allowing police officers to undertake vehicle pursuits after a 13-year ban.

This came after the Queensland Police Union called for a controversial “pit” manoeuvre seen in Hollywood movies and used by United States police officers to drive vehicles off the road to be made legal in Queensland.

Questioned about changes to the pursuit policy, Police Commissioner Steve Gollschewski said he would not rule anything out but said there were concerns about the technique.

He said the Queensland’s pursuit policy was implemented after an inquest into deaths – including that of a 13-year-old girl crossing a road – from pursuits.

“Going back to around 2009 we’d seen in the period up until 2009 that 22 persons had lost their lives as a result of police-related pursuits,” Mr Gollschewski said.

“As a result of a variety of investigations, including coronial investigations, we had to look at our practices in that space and we introduced our pursuits policy.

“Since that time we’ve seen two deaths – that’s 15 years later – so there is a really significant statistic in that.”