Arrest after woman dies in collision with stolen car

John Crouch | September 15, 2023

A woman has died after a high-speed collision with a car that was allegedly stolen at gunpoint on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.

The 52-year-old was trapped inside her Nissan Micra following the crash with a Mercedes hatchback at Burnside in Nambour about 7am on Friday.

Paramedics were unable to revive her.

The crash happened about five hours after the Mercedes was allegedly stolen from a home in Landsborough, about 30km away.

The man in his 20s allegedly used a firearm during the robbery, Detective Senior Sergeant Craig Mansfield said.

The car was later seen driving erratically in Burnside and was allegedly on the wrong side of the road when it collided with the woman’s vehicle.

The man fled on foot and was chased by “good samaritans” who followed him to a nearby property and blocked him from escaping in a second vehicle, Det Sen Sgt Mansfield said.

Police arrested him soon after.

“We’re certainly investigating with the view of (charging him with) dangerous driving causing death or maybe worse,” the detective said.

He praised the “absolutely heroic” members of the public who rushed to try to save the woman, as well as the efforts of the people who pursued the driver of the other vehicle.

He called for for anyone with information or dashcam video to come forward.