Woman loses car and job after thief hit as she helped injured child

A woman who stopped on the side of the road to help an injured boy has lost her car and her ability to work after a heartless thief struck during her good Samaritan act.

Stephanie Robinson had the car that she works from was stolen while she pulled over to help an injured young boy. Picture: Adam Head

A woman who stopped on the side of the road to help a young boy who had injured himself has told of the heartbreaking moment her car was stolen leaving her unable to work.

Queensland Fauna Consultancy owner Stephanie Robinson pulled over on Riding Rd near Miles St at Hawthorne about 11.30am on Tuesday when she saw two young boys distressed.

As she was helping, Ms Robinson said a man who looked like he was in his 30s stole her car, leaving her “extremely vulnerable” and without a financial income.

“I’m a mum so you know the look on a kid’s face when they’re really not okay, crashing a bike is a normal thing but with these guys, one was on the phone and the other boy was clutching his leg,” she said.

“He looked really stressed. And as I came around, I slowed down, I looked down at his leg and he had a lot of blood coming out.”

Queensland Fauna Consultancy owner Stephanie Robinson had her car stolen when she pulled over on the side of a road to help an injured boy. Picture: Supplied

Ms Robinson said as soon as she pulled over she saw a big gash in the back of his calf so she picked him up and started giving him first aid beside her car.

In the moment, a man came behind them who she says said “you’ll be right buddy” and “I’ve got heaps of scrapes and I’m fine now”.

The boy’s mum arrived shortly after so they picked him up and took him across the road and when she walked back she realised her car was rolling backwards.

“I thought I left the handbrake off. And so I raced around the back of the car, and then I saw someone in it,” she said. “I started banging on the door. I was running up the side of the car to get his attention to tell him to stop.”

It was the man who had spoken to her previously.

“The kid wasn’t part of it or anything like that. He was a completely separate incident,” she said.

“This guy just wandered onto a scene and taken advantage, because I was a bit flustered because the boy needed someone.”

Ms Robinson said the incident left her uncomfortable, weary and paranoid.

Stephanie with her husband Bryan. Picture: Adam Head

“He’s invaded my privacy. So I feel extremely vulnerable at the moment,” she said.

“I just feel completely invaded that someone’s gone and stepped into my car and my life, and I work out of my car.

“So everything is in that car, binoculars, snakebite kits, everything I use by trade, and now I’m left without a mode of transport to do my job.

She said she cannot do her job until she replaces everything.

“I’m out of work, and the people that I service aren’t getting serviced,” she said.
“And so the people that are getting hurt by birds that aren’t doing what they’re supposed to do, it’s a big fat flow on affect. So it’s just awful.”

Ms Robinson is calling for anyone who has seen her car to reach out to police.

A Queensland Police spokesman said they were investigating the theft of an Isuzu D-MAX with investigations ongoing.