Perth Service Station Attendant Run Down in Brazen Fuel Theft Attempt
Witnesses have recounted the terrifying moment a service station attendant was struck by a vehicle while attempting to stop a driver from stealing fuel. The incident occurred at a Vibe petrol station in Armadale, located in Perth's southeast, around 1pm on Monday.
The worker, a man in his 30s, was reportedly hit by a dark-coloured sedan as it fled the scene. Police stated that the car's tank had been filled by a customer who tried to drive off without making payment. According to onlookers, the attendant jumped onto the bonnet of the car in a desperate bid to halt the theft, but he was thrown to the ground and run over as the driver accelerated away.
Chaotic Scenes and Immediate Aftermath
The attendant sustained facial injuries and was treated by paramedics before being transported to Royal Perth Hospital. A neighbour who rushed to assist, Stephen Visser, reported that the worker lost consciousness briefly. "He was out to it. Then it would've been, I guess, a minute or two, he started to regain consciousness, started trying to move," Visser said.
Another witness, Kim Hassell, described the scene as chaotic, noting the attendant was "in a really bad way" upon her arrival. "When I rocked up, someone had pulled out sun visors to try and cover him from the sun, so it actually looked like the back-end of a scooter, and I thought somebody had been run over by a scooter," she told The West. Hassell, who has senior first aid training, was about to help when she saw an off-duty nurse rushing to the scene.
Hassell added that she phoned an off-site manager from inside the service station and directed motorists not to refuel their vehicles. She also observed that the sedan's windscreen bore a "massive head-sized impact" following the incident. Police have appealed for anyone with information or who may have seen the vehicle to contact Crime Stoppers.
Rising Trend of Fuel Thefts Amid Global Pressures
This event aligns with a growing trend of drivers stealing petrol as prices surge due to global supply shortages exacerbated by conflict in the Middle East. In South Australia, police reported a 30 per cent increase in petrol theft incidents last week, with nearly half of those apprehended being first-time offenders.
This spike has strained police resources, prompting South Australia's Police Commissioner Grant Stevens to announce that investigators will no longer prioritise preventable crimes. "With the cost-of-living pressures that people are dealing with, the significant increases in fuel costs, we will see more petrol drive-offs in the weeks to come," Stevens stated.
He emphasised the need to redirect resources to other areas, urging service stations to adopt prepaid fuel systems. "I can't compel the retail fuel sector to take these steps, but what I can do is manage how police deal with these offences," he said. "It bogs us down in investigations that we should not have to undertake."
Global Factors Driving Fuel Price Increases
The war in the Middle East continues to threaten fuel prices, with Iran remaining steadfast in its threat to close the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately one-fifth of the world's oil supply passes through this crucial shipping route off Iran's south coast. Iran has warned it will attack any ships owned by the US or its allies attempting to traverse the strait.
Escalation in the conflict has also led to attacks on major oil and gas production facilities across the Gulf of Persia, further driving up costs. Since US-Israeli attacks on Iran began over three weeks ago, the price of a barrel of Brent crude oil has skyrocketed from about $70 to $112.19, marking an increase of more than 58 per cent.
This incident underscores the broader challenges faced by service station workers and law enforcement as fuel thefts become more prevalent amid economic and geopolitical tensions.
