Dangerous driving and property charges, Ipswich at , QLD

Ipswich police have charged a man with several offences after an alleged stolen front end loader was used in a break-in at a West Ipswich motorcycle business before the driver, attempting to flee from police drove away, driving dangerously through several areas before being arrested hiding in a creek.

Police were called to the Brisbane Road business by a member of the public shortly before 4am.

It will be alleged the front end loader had smashed into the motorcycle shop and two motorcycles were attached to a large metal boom on the front of the loader when officers arrived. The boom and motorbikes were dropped onto the road with police forced to take evasive action as the front end loader fled the scene.

The front end loader was under constant surveillance by marked police vehicles, with the driver refusing to stop. The vehicle drove dangerously through several suburban streets, damaging fences and property along the way, before crashing through a gate and entering the Queensland Rail corridor at West Ipswich.

Police immediately contacted QR and the network shut down. A stationary train at Ipswich Railway Station sustained minor damage.

The front end loader continued travelling east along the rail corridor, at times on the tracks, until exiting at Dinmore and driving through more suburban streets, bushland and rear yards.

It did re-enter the rail corridor before coming to a stop after sliding into a large tree near Dinmore Railway Station.

The driver fled on foot and was tracked by a police dog squad unit before locating him hiding in long grass in a creek shortly before 5am.

A 41-year-old Dinmore man was arrested at the scene. He has been denied police bail and is due to appear in the Ipswich Magistrates Court today charged with enter premises and commit an indictable offence by break, dangerous operation of a motor vehicle, trespass on a railway, two counts each of unlawful use of a motor vehicle and wilful damage and one count of obstruct police and evade police.

No one was injured however damage occurred to private fences and QR property, two police vehicles also sustained minor damage. The Brisbane Road motorcycle business sustained significant damage.

The front end loader was allegedly stolen overnight (14-15 October) from a business in Geebung.

/Public Release. View in full here.