KNIFEPOINT CARJACKING TRIGGERS 100-MILE POLICE CHASE ACROSS QUEENSLAND

What started as a terrifying carjacking at a Sunshine Coast shopping center quickly turned into a high-speed police pursuit stretching for roughly 100 miles.

Police say a 55-year-old man was approached by a man allegedly armed with a knife at a shopping center on David Low Way in Mount Coolum shortly before 6:30 p.m. Monday.

The suspect allegedly threatened the man and demanded his car keys before taking off in his red Honda HR-V.

Within minutes, police began tracking the stolen vehicle.

A police helicopter joined the operation as officers followed the vehicle south from the Sunshine Coast, through Brisbane and toward Ipswich.

Then, nearly two hours into the pursuit, officers made their move.

Police deployed a tire-deflation device in Ebbw Vale at around 8:30 p.m., slowing the vehicle. But the driver allegedly continued toward Bundamba before eventually abandoning the car.

The suspected driver then allegedly ran from the vehicle.

Police quickly caught up with him and arrested him a short distance away.

A 26-year-old Mount Coolum man has since been charged with armed robbery and unlawful use of a motor vehicle. He was remanded in custody and was due to appear in Ipswich Magistrates Court.

A second man, a 29-year-old from Yarrabilba, was also arrested after allegedly being found with the vehicle. He was charged with unlawful use of a motor vehicle and released on bail. He is due back in court later this month.

The dramatic chase covered a large stretch of southeast Queensland, turning an alleged robbery at a local shopping center into a major police operation involving a helicopter and tire-deflation devices.

Fortunately, police reported no injuries to officers in connection with the pursuit.

The allegations have not been proven in court. The accused are presumed innocent unless proven guilty.

Mount Coolum to Ipswich, Queensland, Australia

Source: ABC News Australia