Brazen thief makes clean getaway

A mother is thankful her 17-month-old son was not in the back of her car when it was stolen as she washed it at a Bunbury car wash on Tuesday.

Dyane Marsh was washing her black Holden Captiva at Sparklers Car Wash about 11.30am when a thief got in her car and drove off.

‘‘I was cleaning the back left wheel and I heard the revving of an engine,’’ she said.

‘‘It took a couple of seconds for me to realise that it was my car.

‘‘If my boy hadn’t been in daycare, he would have been in the car.’’

Ms Marsh said her car was covered in foam and the windscreen wipers were up when the thief raced off.

Car wash owner Lou O’Hara gave chase after the stolen vehicle.

‘‘I thought there was a baby still in the car, I saw the sun shade on the window that protects the baby,’’ he said.

Mr O’Hara chased the car from Blair Street to Halifax industrial area before he lost sight of it.

‘‘He took a high risk move by shooting in front of a semi-trailer,’’ Mr O’Hara said.

‘‘He showed a total disregard for his and other people’s lives, by running red lights, driving up on kerbs and driving on the other side of the road.’’

Bunbury police were also in pursuit of the car, but did not make it to Halifax before the car disappeared.

Ms Marsh said the car was in a crash soon after, but it had not been recovered yesterday.

‘‘I keep wondering what the perpertrator would have done if my son had been in the back seat,’’ she said.

‘‘Would he have done the right thing or kept going?’’

Ms Marsh left her keys in the ignition — her wallet, phone and house keys were also in the car.

Following the incident, Ms Marsh went to the bank to cancel her cards and get some cash to change her house locks.

‘‘I will be going back to the car wash, I won’t be deterred, but the whole incident makes you think twice,’’ she said.

‘‘Don’t leave your kids in the car, don’t leave your keys in your car and your car unlocked.’’

Mr O’Hara said Sparklers would remind people to lock their cars.

‘‘We have already ordered some signs to remind people to not leave their car unlocked and keys in the ignition,’’ he said.