Shock welcome to Toowoomba
SUSAN Haegel was hoping a fresh start after moving to Toowoomba just eight weeks ago.
But the former Allora woman was left stunned after her Kia Sorento 4WD became involved in the chaos on Toowoomba streets on Friday night.
Ms Haegel was sitting in her living room at about 9.45pm when she heard noises coming from her driveway.
“I was sitting and I heard a car start and I thought ‘I don’t remember seeing any cars’,” she said.
“He’d started it and then I just yelled, and he pulled out and tore off down the road.
“I was positive I’d locked it, but I guess not.”
Ms Haegel said the only damage to her car was the blown-out tyre, caused when police deployed spikes to stop it.
While she will get her car back soon, Ms Haegel said the incident was made more annoying since she’d bought a mobile dog wash business on a trailer two weeks ago.
“About five years ago I bought the car – I bought it brand-spanking new and my last payment is in June,” she said.
“It’s normally a quiet street – it was nothing like this that I’ve seen in this street.
“Our insurance will give us a hire car for three weeks, but it’s just the inconvenience.”
A 20-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy were charged with several offences relating to the theft
of Ms Haegel’s car.
The incident was one of several reckless driving events that occurred on Friday night, which lit up social media as the stolen cars tore through Toowoomba streets.