Car theft takes its toll Dad paying for stolen vehicle in latest blow
A GOLD Coast man trying to piece his life together after fire destroyed the family home has had his car stolen.
And he knows roughly where it is.
Matthew South is watching the road tolls tick over on his account – $36 so far and counting – a week after thieves broke into his home and stole keys, wallets and his 2007 Ford Territory.
A day after the Tuesday night theft, the car drove through its first toll on the Gateway Bridge in Brisbane. On the Thursday, it was the Airport Link Tunnel.
Mr South said over the past week the car had been taken to Logan and Heathwood on at least four occasions.
“It’s already gone through seven tolls,” Mr South said.
A police spokesperson said they were investigating the break-in and car theft.
The theft is another blow to the family of five who were left with nothing before Christmas in 2011 when fire destroyed their home. Around the same time, their oldest son, Tyiler, had his skull reconstructed due to being born without a central line in his skull.
“You try and get ahead and it’s two steps forward and 10 steps back,” Mr South said.
“It’s like getting kicked in the teeth.”
Mr South said Tyiler had ongoing medical issues and required regular treatment and six-monthly check-ups at the Lady Cilento Children’s Hospital as well as bi-weekly speech pathologist and psychiatric appointments.
Mr South said he and his partner, Jacinta, relied on the car to transport their three children – Tyiler, 8, Faith, 6, and 3-month-old Seanna – and they now had to make use of a hire car through their insurer.
“That runs out on the 28th and if (our car is) not recovered it will take a week or two to pay out,” he said, adding the stolen car had important family documents inside when taken. “It will take more than four weeks for forensics and the insurance to go through everything.”