Wild moment teenager who ‘stole taxi’ crashes on road spikes – before cop performs a dramatic takedown

By NICK WILSON FOR DAILY MAIL AUSTRALIA

Published: 11:41 BST, 25 June 2025 | Updated: 17:18 BST, 25 June 2025

Dramatic footage has captured the moment police used road spikes to apprehend the 17-year-old driver of an allegedly stolen taxi during a high-speed chase. 

Queensland Police allege the teenager broke into multiple Cairns homes across Edmonton, Mount Sheridan and Woree in the early hours of Monday morning. 

The Mooroobool boy, who police said is a well-known youth offender, is alleged to have first stolen a Mitsubishi Outlander from a Savage Close address about 11.15am. 

He allegedly abandoned that vehicle after driving over police spikes on Links Drive before he is alleged to have stolen a nearby Toyota Camry taxi after forcibly removing its driver.  

The 59-year-old taxi driver suffered a minor back injury and was taken to Cairns Hospital for treatment. 

The teenager is then alleged to have drove the taxi dangerously around Cairns before hitting a second set of road spikes on nearby Mayers Street at around 11.35am.

In footage obtained by Seven News, an officer could be seen hiding behind a boat parked on a suburban road before he threw the spikes across both lanes.

The teenager attempted to avoid the spikes, but clipped the edge and crashed into a parked Hyundai, sending the vehicle careening out of frame.

Pictured is the moment the allegedly stolen taxi came to a screeching halt on Mayers Street in Cairns on Monday morning after it drove over spikes deployed by a police officer 

The officer who deployed the spikes could then be heard repeatedly yelling for the boy to get out of the vehicle. 

Moments later, the teenager exited the crumpled vehicle and was tackled to the ground by the officer, and a struggle ensued before he restrained him.

‘Get your f***ing hands behind your back c***,’ the officer shouted. 

‘Do not f***ing move.’

A second officer arrived to assist, and the teenager was placed under arrest as emergency vehicles converged on the scene.

The 17-year-old was charged with two counts each of attempted enter dwelling with intent, unlawful use of a motor vehicle and dangerous operation of a vehicle whilst adversely affected and speeding more than 40km/h and one count of robbery.

He was refused bail and appeared in Cairns Children’s Court on Wednesday where he pleaded guilty to unlawful entry, unlawful use of motor vehicle, dangerous driving while intoxicated and attempted unlawful entry, the Courier-Mail reported. 

A local businesswoman Gillian Tap claimed her daughter was almost hit by the runaway taxi when it ran a red light.

The officer is pictured on top of the driver as he apprehended the 17-year-old beside the crumpled taxi

‘If she was seconds quicker she could have been killed. She was shaken up from it, this is just terrible,’ she said.

The boy is expected to be sentenced for non-indictable offences on July 15 while more serious offences will be dealt with by way of committal mention.  

No application for bail was made. 

He was treated at Cairns Hospital for a minor head injury.

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Wild moment teenager who ‘stole taxi’ crashes on road spikes – before cop performs a dramatic takedown

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