Rockhampton erratic driver and alleged car crime spree

Over the past three days chaos has unfolded on Rockhampton roads, with reports of stolen cars and offenders allegedly armed with weapons reigning terror on our city. Find out how many vehicles were involved, how many have been recovered and who has been arrested.

Friday morning and police are retrieving yet another allegedly stolen vehicle after it was dumped, this time near the intersection of Boundary and Norman roads in Parkhurst.

Over the past three days, chaos has unfolded on Rockhampton roads, with reports of stolen and erratic cars and offenders allegedly armed with weapons reigning terror on our city.

Here’s how it all went down - a timeline of car-related crime in Rockhampton.

These are the details Queensland Police could provide by 5pm Thursday.

We will update the timeline as more information is known.

The green Holden

• Tuesday 9.31pm: A green Holden is one of two vehicles allegedly stolen from a North Rockhampton residence at gun and knife-point. A dashcam video captures footage.
• 9.35pm: Police are called to the scene.
• 9.38pm: Police arrive to find the green Holden crashed into a nearby fence, and its driver fled in the blue Commodore.
• Investigations continue.

The blue Holden Commodore:

• Tuesday 9.31pm: A blue Holden is one of two vehicles allegedly stolen from a North Rockhampton residence at gun and knife-point.
• 9.35pm: Police are called to the scene.
• 10.30pm: Police locate the blue vehicle abandoned at Stockland Shopping Centre.
• Investigations continue.

The white RAV4:

• Wednesday 3am: The white RAV4 is reported stolen from a Wandal address, some time after Tuesday 10.30pm. The house was allegedly broken into and other possessions stolen.
• 7am: The white RAV4 is believed to have been involved in a crash with another white vehicle, a Mercedes SUV, near the corner of Musgrave St and Moores Creek Road, North Rockhampton. The two vehicles seem to have continued travelling together around Thozet Road, Lakes Creek Road and Elphinstone Street.
• 7.21: The RAV4 is reported driving dangerously around Berserker
• 8.30am: The RAV4 is reported driving dangerously at Fisher Street, Koongal. (There is no apparent connection between the stolen car and a house fire on Fisher Street, on Tuesday afternoon, from which a person fled the scene but later returned).
• 8.50am: Stuck in peak hour traffic on the Fitzroy Bridge, the driver of the RAV4 reportedly first reverses into one vehicle described to The Morning Bulletin as a “dual cab”.
• 8.50am: The white RAV4 then drives into two other vehicles which come to rest in the westbound lane on the Fitzroy Bridge, near the Criterion Hotel. Neither driver is injured.

Four car crash on Fitzroy bridge Rockhampton August 04 2021

• 8.51am: A Morning Bulletin reporter sees the badly damaged white RAV4 speeding north along Quay St, narrowly missing pedestrians, and phones triple-0.
• 8.52am: The police locate the RAV4 abandoned in a car park behind Motel 98 in Quay Lane.
• A 15-year-old Koongal boy has been arrested in relation to the RAV4 and has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, burglary and receive tainted property.
• Investigations continue.

The white Mercedes:

• Wednesday 7am: The white RAV4 is believed to have been involved in a crash with another white vehicle, a Mercedes SUV, near the corner of Musgrave Street and Moores Creek Road. The two vehicles seem to have continued travelling together around Thozet Road, Lakes Creek Road and Elphinstone Street.
• Police have confirmed the Mercedes was stolen from a Frenchville address overnight between August 3 and August 4.
• Thursday 2am: The Mercedes was allegedly involved in an incident on Musgrave Street, Berserker in the early hours of Thursday, where a bike rider had items thrown at them. The person sought refuge in the Coles Express near Northside Plaza.
• Thursday 4pm: Police find the Mercedes dumped on Elphinstone Street, Berserker.
• QPS have yet to arrest or charge anyone over the Mercedes. Investigations continue.

The dual cab “mystery” car

• The dual cab vehicle which the RAV4 first reversed into on the bridge “takes off in pursuit of” of the RAV, according to witnesses… but it doesn’t return.
• Could the car behind have been travelling with the RAV4? Was it the same white Mercedes the RAV was earlier reported to be travelling with?
• The Morning Bulletin is waiting on clarification from QPS.

The gold Ford Falcon:

• Wednesday 7am: A gold Falcon allegedly collides with a black vehicle on East St heading toward Francis Street, and then crashes into a fence. The driver of the black car sees the driver of the gold car allegedly drop “what looked like a gun” on the ground and pick it up again.
• 7.12am:The police intercept the driver of the gold car in South and Quay streets near the motorboat club and also find a gun a short distance away. They also allege there are dangerous and restricted drugs on his person as well as drug paraphernalia.
• There are no reports yet on where he had been driving away from allegedly with a gun on his person. There is no suggestion he stole the car involved.
• He is identified as a 31-year old Yeppoon man, currently in remand, and was due to front court on Wednesday.

The silver Mazda Tribute (previously reported as gold):

• Wednesday 8.20am: A silver Mazda was allegedly stolen from a retirement home in Schuffenhauer St, Norman Gardens.
• 9.30am: Police located the vehicle on Geaney St.
• 3.50pm: A 27-year old man is arrested and charged with unlawful use of the vehicle and burglary offences.