Would-be van thief falls from driver's seat as tradie chases him down
When a quick-thinking tradie spotted his van being stolen in a car park in Mornington, he decided he wasn’t going to let it go.
But the 25-year-old workman, who was inside a cafe getting a bite to eat while the theft unfolded, never could have anticipated that the bungling thief would fall out the van as he attempted to drive off.
CCTV of the attempted theft shows the would-be thief casually strolling up to the white van, which was left parked with the engine running on Dianne Street, while the tradesmen ducked inside a nearby cafe just after 3pm on Thursday.
The alleged thief does a quick scout around to make sure nobody is watching before he opens the door and jumps in.
It's not until the alleged thief is carefully driving out the car park that a member of the public catches sight of the van and alerts the tradie.
Footage then shows the tradesman make a beeline towards the van before he starts sprinting after it and tears open the driver's door as it exits the car park.
Another witness can be seen racing out of the cafe as the commotion unfolds.
But he needn't have worried.
The bumbling thief appears to be in quite a panic and as he pulls out of the parking lot he falls out of the van and rolls into the gutter.
The tradesman then pounces on the man and performs a citizen's arrest.
But as the tradie and the would-be thief are busy wrestling on the ground, CCTV footage shows the van continuing to roll down the street before it ploughs into a number of parked vehicles in its path.
Police have interviewed a Carrum Downs man and charged him with theft of motor vehicle.
He will appear in Frankston Magistrates Court on September 13.