LAVINGTON grandmother Violet Bowers lost her only means of freedom when thieves stole her car, and crashed into a front fence after a police chase.
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Mrs Bowers, 73, did not even hear her blue Hyundai hatch being stolen from her carport at the Kaylock Road aged-care units on Friday night.
Her daughter rang her at 5am on Saturday after police called to say the early model car ended up through a brick fence of a home on Klose Street, only a kilometre away.
“I’m really gutted,” Mrs Bowers said.
“My son bought that car for me so I can have some independence — to do things for myself, like the shopping.”
Sgt Mark Watson said the car was seen speeding through the McDonald Road roundabout on Griffith Road at 3.15am on Saturday after it was stolen about 11.30pm.
Officers pursued it through the neighbourhood until they lost sight of it in Union Road.
The car was seen again on the intersection of Alemein Avenue and Union Road where police pursued it a second time before the chase was terminated on McDonald Road a few minutes later.
Sgt Watson said the car hit 100km/h in the 50km/h zones with the chase stopped due to safety concerns.
Minutes later the car smashed through a front fence on the corner of Klose Street and Wahroonga Road, stopping metres from Doreen Drumgold’s bedroom window.
Mrs Drumgold, 69, was woken by an “almighty bang” and scraping sound.
“You know how kids get their shoes and scrape them on the gravel? That was it going along the fence,” she said.
She peeked out her bedroom window and saw the car in her front yard.
“And it was steaming, the motor was still going and the lights were still on,” she said.
The doors of the car were open and the car empty.
“Had it hit the side of the house, the home would’ve just crumbled,” Mrs Drumgold said.
She said she has insurance but she feels for Mrs Bowers, who doesn’t have cover.
“I’m stuck now,” Mrs Bowers.
“There’s nothing I can do. I can’t rely on family because they’re all having a battle themselves financially.”
Sgt Watson urged anyone who saw the car or has any information to phone the Albury police station on (02) 6023 9299 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.