Townsville youth crime: Cruel thugs steals car from wheelchair-bound Asti Savage in brazen break-in

A woman left wheelchair-bound after being struck by a stolen car has been dealt another devastating blow after her modified vehicle was stolen by shameless thieves who openly mocked her.

A brazen young car thief waved at wheelchair-bound Asti Savage as he drove away in her car, after breaking into her home and grabbing her bag off her lap. Picture: Shae Beplate.

A woman left wheelchair-bound after being struck by a stolen car has been dealt another devastating blow after her modified vehicle was recently stolen by shameless thieves who openly mocked her.

Townsville mum Asti Savage, who was rendered a paraplegic after she was hit by a drunk driver in a stolen car on Flinders St in 2001, has been forced to face yet another traumatic ordeal.

On a seemingly ordinary morning in Idalia, Asti found herself in her own kitchen with a painter busy at work inside her home on Wednesday.

Suddenly, she heard a disturbance behind her and turned in her wheelchair to investigate. What she encountered was truly chilling.

“I got the shock of my life when I saw a masked, hooded male looking back at me inside my home,” she recounted.

“He ran towards me in my wheelchair, grabbed the bag off my lap and ran before I could do anything.”

The thief’s audacity was appalling. Fully aware of Asti’s limited mobility, he callously stole her black Toyota Coba and made his escape, leaving her feeling utterly helpless.

“He knew I wasn’t going to catch him in my wheelchair,” she said.

“There was another person in the car waiting for him and they waved at me as they reversed my car out of the driveway. They’re so brazen to have done that.”

Despite her desperate cries for help to her neighbour and the painter, the theft occurred too swiftly for anyone to intervene.

Asti expressed her disbelief at the situation, especially considering she had never encountered any issues since building her home in 2008.

Now, Asti is not only without her vehicle but also missing crucial mobility aids, as her car was equipped with a wheelchair hoist and contained a spare wheelchair.

A brazen young car thief waved at wheelchair-bound Asti Savage as he drove away in her car, after breaking into her home and grabbing her bag off her lap. Picture: Shae Beplate.

Left with only the wheelchair she was seated in, she now faces the daunting task of rebuilding her sense of security.

“It’s not just me being in a chair; they do it to anyone and everyone, it’s so scary,” she said.

“The police came around and took a report; however, sadly that’s all they can do.

“Something has got to happen to stop this happening.”

Asti said she dreaded the possibility that her car, which is specially modified to help her drive without the use of her legs, may eventually turn up badly damaged or burnt out.

She’s made a public appeal to see if anyone in the community might have a wheelchair-friendly car she could borrow for a week or so in order to maintain her independence.  

Originally published as Townsville youth crime: Cruel thugs steals car from wheelchair-bound Asti Savage in brazen break-in