Teen suffers severe facial injuries trying to save dog during terrifying carjacking
A Melbourne teenager will need plastic surgery after suffering serious facial injuries trying to save her dog during a terrifying carjacking.
Two thugs, on the run from police, stole Taylor Hall's red convertible in Frankston Monday night, with her puppy still in the back seat.
Speaking from her hospital bed, the 18-year-old said the men yelled at her to "get out of the car“ before they jumped in and drove off, with the young woman still hanging on.
Ms Hall was dragged 30 metres along the bitumen, scraping her face and smashing several teeth as thieves drove the vehicle away.
The convertible sped down the wrong side of a busy road, weaving in and out of traffic before it crashed.
She will need plastic surgery and extensive dental work to fix her broken teeth.
Ms Hall said she didn't think twice about risking her life to save her rescue puppy Luna, who was later found in the backyard of a nearby property.
“I would have held on for longer [but] as soon as I hit that curb, I was flung off and went smack into the concrete.”
The thieves are still on the run after a violent suburban rampage where they stole two other vehicles in the space of a few hours.
The crime spree started when the thieves stole petrol from a service station in Skye, in Melbourne’s south east.
Two police cars were rammed when they tried to intercept the Nissan at a carpark in Seaford.
The pursuit was called off on Wells Road before the vehicle smashed into three cars on Cranbourne Road.
Before driving off with the convertible, the thieves were travelling in a stolen Nissan X-Trail and tried to steal Nelly Riangruira's car. He told 7 News he thought they were armed with a gun.
“I was terrified for my life and everyone else that was there as well,” Mr Riangruira said.
“I've seen [carjackings] in movies, but seeing it in real life was just hectic, you know. Crazy.”
They pounced on his Renault, narrowly missing a neighbour who came to help.
Witness Rebecca Sparrow said: “I just jumped out of the way and then when I watched the video back, I was just in shock. I could have been taken out as well.
“[Ms Hall] was just screaming ‘My dog, my dog, my dog’. That's the only words I could get out of her.”
Police on Tuesday found what appeared to be a bullet casing inside the stolen car and say they are closing in on the suspects.
"This driving was reckless, dangerous and put innocent lives at risk,” Senior Sergeant Steve Burt said.
"There is no excuses for what has happened tonight... Innocent motorists traveling home from tonight were put at risk.
“The poor young girl was hanging out the back window and she must have let go and they drove off.”
Anyone with information is encouraged to call Crime Stoppers 1800 333 000 or use the Crime Stoppers online reporting page.