Man seriously injured in incident involving Bobcat excavator, police say
A young mother says she was fortunate to have moved her children’s Christmas presents inside her home before her near-new car was torched in a senseless act of crime in Townsville.
A young mother says she was fortunate to have moved her children’s Christmas presents inside her home before her near-new car was allegedly torched in a senseless act of crime in Townsville.
Hermit Park woman Maddie Kiely, a married mother to boys aged three and six months, said it was an abysmal start to the week in the lead up to Christmas after an alleged arsonist set fire to her four-year old Toyota CHR outside her home on Mark Street just before 7.30pm on Monday.
Ms Kiely, a former wildlife keeper at Billabong Sanctuary, said the family had just moved the vehicle out to the street due to the construction of a new driveway on her property.
“Within about 20 minutes of my husband leaving to go to work, I’m making the kids breakfast and we’ve heard big bangs coming from near the driveway and my poor car is up in flames.”
She said the alleged offender was in custody by the time she had made sure her children were safe and had gone outside to survey the damage.
Queensland Police Service confirmed that a 22-year-old woman was arrested nearby and that the investigation was “ongoing”.
“Around 7.25am, multiple calls were received in relation to a person allegedly damaging a vehicle at Marks Street before setting the vehicle on fire,” a QPS spokesperson said.
The blaze was quickly brought under control by Queensland Fire Service but not before the vehicle was totalled.
Ms Kiely said a number of businesses had allegedly been vandalised on Charters Towers Rd prior to her vehicle being set alight.
“She (allegedly) smashed a few other cars and then decided it was my car was the one she wanted to set on fire.”
She said her toddler had lost his favourite comfort toy in the destroyed vehicle but was thankful she had taken out the secret Christmas presents the night before.
“We knew the car was going to be on the street today so we thought ‘we’ll remove the Christmas presents just in case’, but all of our (kids’) car seats are gone, the pram is gone, some of our sentimental car things are gone.”
A woman from Palm Island has been charged with arson and is due to appear in the Townsville Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
Vehicle torched, man injured in separate Bobcat incident
A woman has been arrested after setting fire to an innocent victim’s vehicle during a destructive rampage in Townsville.
Queensland Police confirmed that it and Fire and Ambulance service crews were called to a “disturbance” at Hermit Park on Monday morning.
“Around 7.25am, multiple calls were received in relation to a person allegedly damaging a vehicle at Marks Street before setting the vehicle on fire,” a QPS spokesperson said.
The vehicle, which belongs to a young mother, was a write off.
The woman has been contacted for comment.
The blaze was brought under control by Queensland Fire Service.
QPS said a 22-year-old woman was arrested nearby.
“The investigation is ongoing.”
Man suffers 'serious injuries' in Bobcat incident
A man has been badly injured in an unfolding incident north of Townsville, police say.
A Queensland Police Service spokesman said it was feared that the male had suffered serious injuries at a private address in Yabulu at 5.57pm on Sunday.
He said the incident involved a Bobcat excavator.
Queensland Ambulance and Fire crews were also on scene.
A man in his 70s was transported to Townsville University Hospital with potentially life-threatening pelvic injuries.
Townsville Health and Hospital Service said the victim was listed in a stable condition on Monday morning.
More Coverage
Originally published as Man seriously injured in incident involving Bobcat excavator, police say
Join the conversation
Fans fight to bring rockers to North Queensland
Read more
‘Dreadful’: Meth and cocaine send notorious drug offender back to jail
Read more