Instagram footage of crash as teen charged over allegedly stolen vehicle
A 13-year-old alleged car thief recovering in hospital has been charged with multiple charges, as footage emerges he allegedly posted to Instagram. SEE VIDEO
Police & Courts
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A 13-year-old alleged car thief left fighting for life after crashing what police say was a stolen Range Rover has been hit with a string of charges after making a remarkable recovery and posting about the crash from his hospital bed.
The boy, believed to be from Brisbane, was rushed to hospital in critical condition after crashing the luxury vehicle in bushland at Ashmore on Thursday morning.
He was found nearby and taken to Gold Coast University Hospital in critical condition.
But shock footage has emerged after the boy posted a video of the aftermath of the crash on social media.
The video shows the teen splattered with blood, filming himself after escaping the mangled SUV, before flipping his phone camera around to film the wreckage.
He later obnoxiously reposted a 9 News video of the crash site, right from his hospital bed, where he remains in a serious condition.
The SUV, owned by Holly Lines, was stolen from her home in a gated community in Carrara along with another car on Tuesday night.
Ms Lines told 9 News she didn’t know how the teen survived the crash.
“I was talking to the police officer about it and he’s 13, he’ll get a caution,” Ms Lines said. “They just get away with it time and time again. It’s a joke.”
Police said the boy’s condition had improved and he had now been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle, receiving tainted property, unlicensed driving and careless driving.
He is due to appear in Southport Children’s Court later this month.
He is believed to be well-known to the police and was on bail at the time of the alleged offences.
A witness on scene shortly after the horror crash said he believed the Range Rover’s driver had failed to negotiate a corner before the vehicle went off the road and narrowly missed a street sign.
The witness, who did not want to be named, said the car sideswiped a tree stump and then went down a small embankment.
“It’s caused the car to become airborne, and the car’s windscreen was actually lodged in a tree – still lodged in a tree now,” he said.
“He’s (the driver) rolled the car and then it’s landed on its wheels and he’s done a runner and ended up about 500m up the road.
“Apparently there was a lot of blood in the car.”
The Queensland Police Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.
It is understood the boy is known to police and alleged to be a serial vehicle thief.
Officers have appealed for any dashcam footage or information from witnesses.
Today’s crash comes in the wake of a spate of youth car theft offences on the Coast – and across Queensland.
Information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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