A man in the middle of the road shone a torch at the driver. Photo / TikTok/@borghub
A man in the middle of the road shone a torch at the driver. Photo / TikTok/@borghub
Dashcam video has captured what is believed could have been an attempted carjacking in Melbourne, where a man stood in the middle of the road and shone a bright light at the driver.
Daniel Borghesi was in the passenger seat of his mate’s Tesla in the early hours of themorning last week in Abbotsford when the strange moment unfolded.
“There was something strangely methodical about the way this guy stopped, looked at us, then shone the spotlight towards us,” he told news.com.au.
“It was so bright and both of our eyesight was affected for a good minute or two afterwards.”
A man in the middle of the road shone a torch at the driver. Photo / TikTok/@borghub
Borghesi posted the dashcam footage on TikTok and it has been viewed more than a million times.
The main video shows the car swerving around the man and a second video from the side of the car appears to show him then trying to grab or hit the car with his torch as it goes past.
Borghesi said he was thankful his friend who was driving, Matt, had sensed the danger and just drove around the man on the road.
“I think most people including myself would’ve just stopped, and I’m glad we didn’t,” he said.
“Because it was only as we drove around him did he take a swipe at us, and we saw he was carrying a big duffel bag. You never know what could’ve been inside.”
Social media users described the video as “spooky” and many said it was a good reminder to always drive with their car doors locked.
“Thanks for showing me how to deal with (this), I’m a bit gullible and probably would’ve stopped,” wrote one person.
Another angle then showed him reaching for the car. Photo / TikTok/@borghub
“Thank god my car automatically locks as soon as I start driving,” said another.
One person said they had a similar thing happen to them in Tarneit in Melbourne’s west.
“I had my two year old son in the car as well and I just knew to keep driving,” she said.
Another person said it had happened to them in Gippsland, also in the early hours of the morning.
A third said it happened to them in the Sydney suburb of Campsie just days ago.
Some known methods criminals use to stop a car before a carjacking include the criminal pretending to be injured or needing help with their broken down car, bumping into the victim’s car to create a minor accident, and blocking or sandwiching the victim’s car with another vehicle.
In October, police alleged a Mazda sedan crashed into an Audi which was stopped at traffic lights in Melbourne’s CBD before two men from the Mazda stole the keys to the Audi in an attempted carjacking.
A truck driver is said to have parked in front of the Audi to stop the alleged carjackers from getting away and police were able to arrest two men. It is alleged the men were armed with a meat cleaver and tyre iron.
The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington DC, where there has been a “substantial increase” of carjackings in the past year, instructs motorists to always keep their doors locked and windows rolled up at least part of the way.
It also advises drivers to always leave enough room to manoeuvre around other cars when coming to a stop.
Sergeant Valkyrie Barnes from the district’s carjacking task force said that the worst thing someone can do if they are a victim of a carjacking is fight back against the suspect.
