Young mother describes the moment she thought her children were killed

A young mother caught up in a heart stopping police chase through Melbourne has described the moment she thought her children had been killed.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:03):
The helicopter camera honed in on the crazed carjacker as
he smashed into multiple cars, jumped out a window, and
was brought to a bone shattering halt. But the stories
emerging today of scenes just off camera are arguably even
more terrifying.

Speaker 2 (00:19):
I thought we were all dead, and I guess I
was just trying to steer as we were spinning so
that I could stop the car from flipping.

Speaker 1 (00:27):
Two young kids were in the back of this Honda
City when it was hit during Friday's pursuit. This is
the point of impact.

Speaker 2 (00:34):
They were just screaming in the backseat. My first thought
was like, is everyone still alive? And can everyone still move?
Because the back window had shattered, that the boot was crashed.
I thought my kids wouldn't be able to walk again.

Speaker 1 (00:45):
The driver's parents have apologized, saying they don't condone, defend,
or minimize his actions. In a statement to seven News,
they say what he did placed hundreds of lives at risk,
instilled fear into the community, and could have ended in tragedy.
We're painful aware of how narrowly that was avoided. We
thank police for removing him from the streets before further harm.

(01:06):
Could occur. While we love him, we're devastated and heartbroken
and extend our deepest apologies to everyone affected. Pleasea the
driver's injuries are so significant they still haven't had a
chance to speak to him. They expected to be several
days before any charges are late.

Speaker 2 (01:22):
We were so lucky, honestly, I mean we've been checked
out by doctors and nurses and they said, you know,
it's unlikely to see people okay after an accident like that.

Speaker 1 (01:33):
Christy Cooper, seven News