A 68-year-old man was critically injured in Heidelberg West on Saturday night after he tried to stop his car from being stolen, and the thief drove off in the vehicle anyway. The man was hit by the car in Melbourne's north-east and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries. The whole scene lays bare how quickly ordinary people get crushed when a thief, an engine, and a street collide.
Who Paid the Price
Victoria Police said emergency services were called to Blackwood Parade at Heidelberg West about 7:30pm Saturday after reports a man had been struck by a vehicle. Investigators were told the 68-year-old man was trying to stop his car from being stolen by an unknown offender when he was hit. The offender fled the scene in the man's vehicle, and no arrests have been made. The man at the center of it all ended up in hospital. The person who took the car walked away, at least for now.
Heidelberg West resident Kim Tripitiris said she was alerted by the sounds of a woman's screams and went outside to discover her neighbour George seriously injured in his driveway. She and her partner performed CPR in an attempt to revive him. "He was lying there for 30 minutes before police were even called," she said. "His mouth was full of blood … it was really horrible, and I wish I'll never see anything like that ever again; it's going to haunt me for a while."
What Neighbours Did When the System Wasn't There
Ms Tripitiris said, "He did pass away for a couple minutes, and my partner started pumping his chest," and added, "He came back, thank god. Then the ambulance came, but it just seemed like forever; it really did." That was the response on the ground: neighbours, panic, CPR, waiting. Not some polished rescue machine, just people trying to keep someone alive while time dragged.
She described George as "an old knockabout" who was adored by the local community. "We love George around here, he's very important to us," she said. "He loved his cars … he was just a lovely down-to-earth guy, and no one deserves this." Those words come from the people who knew him, not from the apparatus that arrived after the damage was done.
The Investigation Machine Arrives Late
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives attended the scene and police said the investigation was ongoing. Police asked anyone with information or dash-camera footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000. That’s the familiar script after the fact: the state shows up to document the wreckage, then asks the public to help fill in the gaps.
No arrests have been made. The offender remains unknown. The car is gone. The 68-year-old man is in hospital with life-threatening injuries. And the people who saw it happen are left with the memory, the blood, and the long wait before help arrived.
The details are plain enough. A man tried to stop his own car from being stolen. He was struck. Neighbours performed CPR. Police came later. The thief fled in the vehicle. In Heidelberg West, the cost of someone else’s theft was paid in flesh, fear, and a driveway turned into an emergency scene.