‘A scene out of Mad Max’: Stolen car driven head-on at ambulance in NQ

Out-of-control youths in a stolen car have driven head-on towards an ambulance in Townsville before hurling an item at it and tailgating.

• Six hours, 120 jobs: Youths crime terror

Fed-up paramedics are calling for an end to the chaos after ambulances in Townsville were almost rammed by stolen cars twice in two days.

In one instance, out-of-control youths in a stolen car in Townsville drove head-on towards an ambulance before it had to move behind a traffic island to avoid it, police have revealed.

The red Camry was driving at the ambulance on Carthew St at about 1.20am in Kirwan when the incident happened this morning.

Police said someone in the stolen car then threw an item at the ambulance and the car followed it briefly before fleeing. The Queensland Ambulance Service will hold a press conference later this morning.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Green and paramedic Eric Day are calling for an end to ambulances being harassed by stolen cars on Townsville roads.

“The situation is now so bad in Townsville that these reckless youth are driving at ambulance vehicles,” Queensland Police Union president Ian Leavers said.

“Living in Townsville is now akin to a scene out of the movie Mad Max.

“We need a dedicated police aerial platform in Townsville and state co-ordinator for motor vehicle use-of-force, interception and apprehension which should include extensive roll out of remote tyre deflation devices. We have had success in Logan and the police southeast region and this should be replicated in North Queensland,” he said.

“Things are at such a breaking point these initiatives should be announced straight away today.

“I’ve asked for an urgent meeting with the premier-designate so I can discuss further victim-centric and victim-trauma informed policies.”

Queensland Police Union boss, Ian Leavers, at Police Union HQ.

An ambulance crew responding to a critical code one emergency in Kelso was also forcing crews to retreat when they were targeted by a stolen car about 3am on Tuesday.

Assistant Commissioner Matt Green said while paramedics managed to avoid any physical damage during both incidents, these unprovoked attacks were taking a psychological toll.

“I spoke to the crew this morning, and they were still as shaken as we all would be — imagine having a car driving straight at you like that,” he said.

“I am really concerned about the impact this is having, that it’s increasing stress levels, and we are going to have some issues with that down the track.

“Our people come to work every day to help people, save lives, do the right thing by the general community, and this is actually having an impact on that.”

Frustrated police have revealed just the severity of the youth crime jobs they are being called, detailing more than 10 jobs involving youths in stolen vehicles during just one shift last week, between 2pm and 10pm.

Police were called to youths driving around an oval at the former PCYC at Garbutt that then continually rammed a taxi.

CCTV of youths in a stolen Ford Everest ramming a mum's LandCruiser in Vincent on December 7.

Four youths then assaulted a person with a baseball bat in a carpark at the airport and stole a white Yaris. The victim had a possible broken arm and ribs.

Police were then called to three youths crashing a stolen silver RAV4, who then stole a black Audi.

Three to four offenders in a white SUV then pulled up to a victim’s car in Belgian Gardens and assaulted two people with a baseball bat, before they stole a handbag and phone and fled.

Police were then called to a white Hyundai Kona with four youths who drove pat a house in Belgian Gardens who pointed a rifle at a person at a house.

They were then called to a group of juveniles with long weapons who went through a person’s vehicle and fled in a silver Ranger.

Police were then called to a stolen Everest attending a fuel station on Bayswater Road, with juveniles wearing masks and gloves.

Crews were then called to two stolen vehicles in the v8 track park which nearly ran over a member of the public. They then fled.

A stolen silver Everest then rammed a vehicle driven by a woman. The occupants of the car then fled.

Later that night police were called to a car fire, with officers finding the white Hyundai Kona set on fire.

The offenders were seen getting into a dark blue sedan.

Police were then called to multiple cars being stolen and damaged at Grand Mercure.

Opposition leader David Crisafulli on Wednesday said the situation with the ambulance overnight was the “next sorry chapter in the Queensland youth crime crisis”.

“And I’ve just come back from North Queensland and to see that city being ripped to shreds at the moment by a generation of repeat young offenders is heartbreaking,” he said.

“And I’m not sure how on earth the message isn’t getting through to the government, but it’s certainly getting through to every other Queenslander at the moment that something needs to change and we’ve committed to that change, but to see that escalation that an ambo is now the victim of a crazy game of hit and run.

“Paramedics sign up to go and heal the sick and injured but because of weak laws and fewer police we’ve got them running the risk of being injured by a generation of sickos. That is a broken system.”

Mr Crisafulli said there was a “whole generation of these young thugs who are not being held accountable.”

“And I commit to rewriting the Youth Justice Act and making consequences for action count for something and that involves removing detention as a last resort and getting serious about early intervention,” he said.