A police officer is in a stable condition after being struck by an allegedly stolen vehicle while responding to a traffic crash in North Queensland. The incident occurred around 10am on Paradise Street in Paget, near Mackay.
The white SUV was reportedly stolen from an address in Townsville about 2:30am, travelling approximately 400 kilometres south before crashing into a yard. When an officer approached the driver, the driver reversed and hit the male officer, as well as two police vehicles, before fleeing the scene.
The officer sustained a lower leg injury and was transported to Mackay Base Hospital by paramedics. The stolen vehicle crashed again shortly after on the Mackay Ring Road, and the sole occupant fled on foot.
A 20-year-old woman, who was a passenger in the SUV when it first crashed in Paget, was arrested at the scene. She has been charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and is expected to appear in the Mackay Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police have stated that investigations are ongoing as they continue to search for the alleged driver.
