VIDEO: Good Samaritan, police officer crash-tackle alleged car thieves on sports field

He became a local legend after tackling an alleged car thief who dumped a stolen car, but few would know this Maudsland dad’s painful past. HIS HEARTBREAKING STORY

HE is the Gold Coast’s real life superhero.

Jayson Huthmann-Grace became a local legend after he tackled an alleged car thief who dumped a stolen car at a Labrador sports field last week.

But few would know this Maudsland dad’s painful past is what pushes him every day to help others.

On Monday Mayor Tom Tate awarded Mr Huthmann-Grace a City Appreciation Certificate in recognition of the legendary “crash tackler”.

The pair shared a beer together, with Mr Tate describing him as a “good man” who “jumped into action.”

Maudsland man Jayson Huthmann-Grace sharing a congratulatory beer with Mayor Tom Tate at HOTA Cafe after crash tacking an alleged car thief at Labrador. Picture Glenn Hampson

It’s a world away from the dark place he found himself in almost a year ago.

On November 17 last year, Mr Huthmann-Grace’s sister Mariah died after falling from a Gold Coast high rise.

The young woman fell from the 22nd floor of the Condor Ocean View Apartments on Riverview Parade in Surfers Paradise about 1am.

Mariah Huthmann-Grace

“When she passed away, it hit a lot of us hard,” Mr Huthmann-Grace said.

“It made me and my wife want to help her children, so we are currently studying to become youth workers.

“(We) jumped into the youth worker thing because we wanted to help kids in similar situations that came from broken homes.

“They call them ‘bad teenagers’, but there’s nothing bad about them. It’s just generational things.”

Mr Huthmann-Grace said he still felt guilty for not being able to help his sister, but wants to use his experience to help others in the same situation.

“We all struggle, and it’s OK to speak up and get help,” he said.

“Since everything has gone down, it’s just opened our eyes to the bigger picture and that there are people who are like my sister who did have struggles and found it hard to fight those demons,”

Along with his wife Emma-Jo, the aspiring youth worker hosts a podcast called Happy Mindful Souls, which interviews parents of all backgrounds with the aim to help people raise “respectful loving humans”.

Mr Huthmann-Grace will pay tribute to his beloved sister on the one-year anniversary of her death on Wednesday.

“She had a heart of gold,” he said.

“She was a very loving, caring person and a very good mother.”

If you or anyone you know needs help, phone Beyond Blue on 1300 22 4636 or Lifeline on 13 11 14.

Maudsland man Jayson Huthmann-Grace. Picture Glenn Hampson

Tackler to alleged car thief: ‘Get the f**k on the ground’- November 11

A GOOD Samaritan who helped police crash-tackle an alleged car thief after they dumped a luxury stolen car at a sports field has recounted the crazy ordeal.

Gold Coast father-of-three and Aquaman lookalike Jayson Huthmann-Grace chased one alleged thief on foot before lunging and making the diving tackle.

PolAir footage shows the co-accused appearing to stop before surrendering to the ground as the police officer arrives and subdues him.

Police say the drama unfolded at a sports field just before the start of an Oztag game.

Mr Huthmann-Grace was coaching his son’s OzTag team when he saw a helicopter circling in the sky and police lights.

“My first initial thought was ‘holy s**t are they going to be driving that car on the field?’” he said.

“Luckily they didn’t because there are safety bollards.

“Then I saw two guys running and the police were trying to chase them.

“I ran about 80 metres to catch the guys and then did a baseball slide underneath the fence, got up and started straight for the bigger guy and tackled him.”

Mr Huthmann-Grace said he shouted at the second alleged car thief to “get the f**k on the ground”, to which he complied.

“I think he was shocked, he must of thought I was a police officer,” the Coast dad said.

Like a true legend, Mr Huthmann-Grace carried on coaching his son’s game after the drama was over.

“I was thinking about the safety of all the kids around,” the Happy Mindful Souls podcast host said.

Jayson Huthmann-Grace. Picture: Facebook

Officers tried to pull over a Volkswagon Golf, stolen from Oxenford on November 8, at Coomera just after 4pm yesterday but it failed to stop.

The police helicopter, Polair, tracked the vehicle as it travelled from Coomera to Runaway Bay before tyre stingers were used in an attempt to stop the car.

The vehicle eventually came to a stop in the car park of a sports field in Labrador where a game of OzTag was about to begin, police said.

PolAir footage captures the moment two alleged car thieves are crashtackled.

A 13-year-old OzTag player said she was in the middle of a game when police sirens sounded and they arrived in the car park of the Labrador fields.

“Then it got really windy and there was a helicopter and then four police cars pulled up in the car park and then the helicopter was circling over us,” she said.

“I tried to see what was going on but then the other team scored and it was our semi-final so I focused back on the game.

“Then after the person was tackled someone on Polair said ‘great tackle’ and we all heard it and laughed.

“I was a bit nervous, but mainly excited about what was happening.”

Jayson Huthmann-Grace. Picture: Facebook

A 29-year-old Molendinar man, the alleged driver, was charged with 12 offences including three counts of possessing dangerous drug, two counts of stealing and one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

He was denied bail and will appear in the Southport Magistrates Court today (November 11).

A 22-year-old Chevron Island man was charged with 13 offences including six counts of receiving tainted property, three of stealing, three of enter premises and commit indictable offence, and one of unlawful use of a motor vehicle.

He was granted bail to appear at the Southport Magistrates Court on November 24.

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