Dashcam footage has managed to capture what a car thief got up to in his horrifying joyride in a stolen high-performance sports car through suburban streets in Australia.
The Audi R8 was stolen from a couple’s Newcastle home on December 20 but in a bizarre twist, they were able to see just what the thief got up to with it while it was gone.
The dashcam was programmed to automatically turn on whenever the car did, meaning as soon as the thief started up the engine, evidence against him was being made.
The footage looks like something out of a video game or movies as the mad driver clocks up speeds of up to 160km/h through suburban streets as he weaves through traffic and spends time on the wrong side of the road.
At one point the thief stops the car in front of locals and encourages them to “get in” with him but he speeds away again for more high-speed, high-risk dangerous driving soon after.
Owners Luke and Bec told Nine News they had only purchased the car three months ago and estimate the damage to it to be around $100,000.
However, Luke was thankful the car was, somehow, the only thing damaged.
“Imagine if he hit someone doing 120km/h through that stop sign,” he said.
Three days after the wild joyride, Australian police arrested 49-year-old Darren Johns and charged him with car theft, reckless driving dangerous driving, driving while unlicensed, and breaking and entering a house to steal more than $60,000.
Newcastle Police Commander Detective Superintendent Wayne Humphrey said Johns' driving was one of the worst examples of dangerous driving he had ever seen.
“It is dangerous driving at an extreme level – speeding through residential areas and stop signs, over pedestrian crossings,” he said.
“Travelling in excess of 160km/hr in built up areas, overtaking other motorists across double unbroken lines, and crossing to the wrong side of the road.
“This manner of driving puts dozens of lives at risk.”
Police will also allege he committed several driving offences including crossing double white lines to overtake vehicles, driving on the wrong side of the road and speeding about 160km/hr in a 60km/hr zone.
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