Burgled on the roadside

When Lynley Wilburn was pulled over and told she had hit another car, she got out instantly to check the damage caused.

Thinking she was about to be of some help, Wilburn herself became a victim when her handbag was stolen and $2000 was taken from her bank account.

Wilburn said she was driving down Pembroke St in Palmerston North last Thursday about 8pm on the way to visit a friend when a car started tailgating her, the driver signalling to her to pull over.

‘‘I pulled over and wound down my window and said ‘what’s your problem?’

‘‘And they said ‘you hit our wing mirror when you drove past’.’’

Her instant reaction was to get out and see what damage she had caused.

‘‘He took me around to show me the damage. I left my driver’s door open, but I took the key with me, so while I was out they took my bag and then [the other man] must have got the nod and wasn’t interested in taking my details for the damage.’’

She got back in her car and drove off and said it was not until she was heading home from her friend’s house that she realised her bag was missing.

‘‘I wasn’t 100 per cent sure it had been taken until I drove back to my friend’s to check it wasn’t there.’’

After she realised, she called ANZ to cancel her cards.

But the following morning when she went to get a new card she was told $2000 had been taken from her account.

Wilburn suffers from chronic fatigue, and has to write her Pin numbers down in a diary, which she carries in her handbag.

She said the men who stole her bag must have discovered it and used it to withdraw her money, $200 at a time. The bank was still investigating the incident and had not made a decision about whether she would be reimbursed.

Wilburn wanted to warn other people to be careful. ‘‘Lock your doors and don’t stop no matter what.’’

Police are investigating.