Sunshine Coast: Queensland police chase ends after man allegedly crashes stolen car and tries to evade officers by jumping into water
A man has been arrested and charged with a series of offences after allegedly leading police on a wild chase across land and water.
Officers were called to Golden Beach, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, after a suspected stolen Ford Ranger crashed into the front of a house at 5.30am on Monday.
A 28-year-old man from Caboolture is suspected of driving the car and then fleeing to the waterfront, pursuing the homeowner, Aaron Mason Smith.
He was able to avoid Mr Smith by jumping into the water, but was found by police shortly afterwards while swimming in the nearby Pumicestone Passage.
According to Sergeant John Van Egmond, the man was known to the police and is said to have barricaded himself on a boat, ‘armed himself with knives and poured petrol over himself’.
Footage of the dramatic incident shows the shirtless man wearing a large life jacket and looking at specialist police as they try to negotiate with him.
He then dramatically jumped from the boat, covered with a tarp, and swam to another nearby vessel, where he allegedly ‘made threats’, according to police.
Officers pepper-sprayed the man as he hung to the side, after which he turned himself in to police.
A 28-year-old man has been arrested and is facing a string of charges after allegedly crashing a stolen vehicle into a house before leading police on a wild rampage into a nearby bay (pictured)
According to Mr Mason, the first bang sounded “like a bomb had gone off” in his home and woke both him and his wife.
“I woke up and thought, ‘Jesus, is this the end of the world?’ Something crashed into my house. I didn’t know what was going on,” he told 9News.
No one was injured in the crash, but Mr Mason’s home, which he had purchased just six months earlier, was no longer considered safe to live in.
Queensland Police’s Brod Doolan praised Smith for giving officers a “really good idea” of where he was.
Police allege the Ford was stolen earlier that morning in Wurtulla, about 8km north of Golden Beach.
Police allege the man barricaded himself on a boat in Pumicestone Passage, in the Sunshine Coast’s south, before allegedly arming himself with knives and dousing himself in petrol
The suspect was taken to hospital, where he was charged with 20 crimes.
The offences included four charges of trespassing and causing damage with intent, and one charge each of dangerous driving, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and obstructing police.
He was not present when the case was heard in Maroochydore District Court on Tuesday.
His lawyer Luke Bull told the court his client had not applied for bail and requested the case be adjourned.
He is expected to appear in court on August 6.
