A car crash in Australia's Gold Coast resulted in four teenagers getting injured by a supposedly stolen vehicle.
One of the victims was in critical condition following the two-car crash that occurred shortly after midnight on Thursday. The four patients needed "urgent medical attention" after paramedics arrived at the scene of the incident on Frank St. in Labrador at around 12:30 a.m.
Australia Car Crash
In a statement, the Queensland Police said that they believed that the incident involved a stolen Mazda CX3 that was traveling south on Frank Street before colliding with a Mazda 3. Officials said that following the crash, a 17-year-old male and a 14-year-old female were seen getting out of the Mazda CX3 before running from the scene.
The two individuals were found by a police dog squad roughly 250 meters away and taken to Gold Coast University hospital with abdominal injuries and lacerations. Law enforcement personnel also alleged that the supposedly stolen vehicle was from Wharf Rd in Surfers Paradise and was said to have been stolen half an hour before the crash, according to 7News.
The Mazda 3 was said to have been driven by a 17-year-old male who was later taken to a hospital in serious condition while a 15-year-old passenger was found to have significant chest and pelvic injuries and was taken to a hospital in critical condition. The latter was also being treated in the intensive care unit.
In a statement, Gold Coast Senior Operations Supervisor John Nolan said that these types of incidents are very serious and significant. He added that they are particularly of note when there are people of younger age involved.
Nolan added that the vehicles sustained "significant damage" and speed was likely a factor in that regard. The supervisor said that it was a very lucky circumstance that none of the people involved in the crash was seriously injured.
He noted that some of the people who were part of the crash were showing signs of seat belt injuries, which suggests that they were wearing them properly, which in turn contributed to less traumatic injuries.
Vehicular Theft
Law enforcement authorities said that the two teenagers who were in the supposedly stolen Mazda CX3 were assisting officers with the investigation. A resident of Labrador, Max Sharma, said that he was not surprised to hear about the car crash, said ABC.net.
He said that nearly every second day a vehicle would be stolen and the majority of the time it was youths who were responsible for the theft. Sharma added that the criminals keep doing the same thing time and time again because they know that the laws are not strong enough.
The incident comes nearly a month after a 16-year-old girl lost her life in a car crash on her way to a Taylor Swift concert. Emergency crews were called following reports of a two-vehicle crash on Dunedoo Rd, Ballimore.
The deceased victim was pronounced dead at the scene while her 10-year-old sister was flown to Sydney's Westmead Hospital in critical condition and was placed in an induced coma. The two victims were traveling with their mother in their SUV to see the singer-songwriter's Eras Tour, according to the New York Post.
