A Ballina stolen car crash has gone viral after a man filmed the aftermath at a service station in the early hours of Saturday with his video capturing the long wait for police to turn up.
David Phoenix says he was parked overnight at the West Ballina service station when the cars, allegedly full of young offenders, collided with each other just before 1am.
In the video, now circulating widely online, Phoenix says the crash narrowly missed a number of parked caravans nearby and could of killed someone.
“They’ve smacked into each other and almost took out a bunch of other caravans,” he says.
Offenders Bail Out And Take Off
Phoenix’s footage shows a red car with its door open, sitting in a garden bed with the engine still running. A second vehicle can be seen abandoned about 30 metres away.
He says the young occupants, dressed in hoodies and balaclavas, jumped out and ran the moment the cars came to a stop, and claims a third vehicle pulled up shortly after to pick them up.
Phoenix, clearly rattled by what he’d witnessed, didn’t hold back on camera, saying he reckoned he “could have picked them up with one hand and thrown them around the fucking yard”.
The Long Wait
Much of the wait was broadcast live on social media, with Phoenix repeatedly checking the time and questioning why Police hadn’t arrived
He continues to update viewers ,with Coldplay playing in the background as he keeps filming and at one stage saying it had been over an hour since the crash with no sign of Police.
Despite his growing frustration on camera, Phoenix says at one point he wouldn’t be calling Police himself, instead choosing to wait and see how long it took them to arrive.
Police Confirm Details Of The Ballina Stolen Car Crash
A Police spokesperson told The Coast Report that Police were notified of the Ballina stolen car crash about 1.35am and attended the West Ballina service station, where two abandoned vehicles were found.
Police say both vehicles had been reported stolen, one from Goonellabah and the other from Lennox Head.
The vehicles were seized and towed for forensic examination.
The video has since sparked plenty of debate online. Some viewers questioned why Phoenix spent the best part of an hour filming and criticising the Police response without calling them himself, while others said his footage was proof enough of a bigger problem with response times in the region
Inquiries are continuing . Anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Images: David Phoenix / Facebook
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The police are over 2000 under the authorised number of officers and grossly over worked and their response to incidents is closely monitored. I’m a retired policeman and believe they do the best they can with the limited resources they have. Due to several factors they are leaving prematurely after less than a decade of service. I believe the pay is now very good but working conditions need a big overhaul. The criticism of response time is not the fault of the officers. A lot needs to be done to attract and retain police.