Sunshine Coast man charged over violent carjackings and fatal crash

A man has been charged over a shooting and a string of carjackings on the Sunshine Coast that left one woman dead, and two men injured.

Transcript

00:00We are outside the Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue Centre here on the Sunshine Coast

00:07where one of these alleged carjackings took place.

00:10But before we get to that, let's go back to where this incident all started.

00:13It was yesterday afternoon, the peak of the school holiday traffic on the Bruce Highway here on the Sunshine Coast

00:19with thousands of families heading home after a long weekend

00:23when suddenly a red Porsche has crashed into another car on the highway.

00:27As a result of that impact, a 22-year-old woman from Mount Gravatt near Brisbane was killed.

00:32The driver of the car was also injured but has since been discharged from hospital.

00:37It's then alleged that the driver of that red Porsche has exited the car

00:41and then threatened another driver at gunpoint and taken their car.

00:46He's also shot the man in the process, it's alleged, and that man ended up in hospital

00:50but has also since been discharged.

00:52Now after taking that car, it's alleged he's travelled along here, Steve Irwin Way,

00:57before crashing into a culvert here.

00:59And that's where Helen Powers, who works at the centre here, comes into the story.

01:04Now she heard a loud bang, she came out of the centre here, she saw the car on its roof

01:10and at that point she ran towards trying to help the driver.

01:14Here's a little of what she had to say.

01:16I didn't see him with a gun at first, but he did have something down here

01:20because his arm was down.

01:22And anyway, he picked up the gun and pointed it at me.

01:29I said, whoa!

01:30I said, I'm here to help you, is anyone else in the car?

01:33And anyway, he mumbled something, I don't know what he said.

01:37And I said, no, I'm here to help you.

01:40After that crash, the driver then allegedly threatened another driver, a learner driver,

01:46who was in the car with her parents, ordered them out of the car

01:49and then has taken the car further along Steve Irwin Way

01:52before being intercepted by police.

01:54Now, 41-year-old Bradley Donald Towle of Tewandton, which is the northern Sunshine Coast suburb,

02:01he's now facing 15 charges.

02:03He was in hospital under police guard last night.

02:06So a duty lawyer appeared on his behalf in Maroochidore Magistrates Court this morning

02:11where the case was adjourned.

02:12It's understood he'll be transferred to the watch house today

02:15and will appear in court in person tomorrow.

02:18He's gone.

02:23You can ?

02:28Is that special?

02:32I guess he said, no, no, no, he can hear it.

02:35I think he is the human being dio.

02:37And I guarantee hisister踪 can be near the town and I offer him the train.

02:42He's for one of the summers over clock.