By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A GOOD Samaritan who stopped her car along a rugged Upper Beaconsfield road to help what appeared to be a baby in a pram alongside its collapsed mother believes she may have been lured.
She reported three men appeared from nowhere and surrounded her car when it pulled over near the pram.
The men, aged in their twenties, made quick advances for her driver side handle, but the shaken motorist, who did not want to be identified, drove off before she got to learn their intentions.
The apparent carjacking attempt took place about 1pm on Friday 6 May as the woman was driving along Beaconsfield-Emerald Road.
Talking to the Gazette, the motorist said she was driving slowly behind a heavy truck when she noticed a pram on the side of the road and someone lying down next to it.
She pulled over to help and that’s when it all happened.
The motorist said once she rolled to a stop, three men sprung out of the bushes – two at her side of the car and another on the passenger side.
“They were right at my door,” she recalled.
The woman did not hang around to see what the men wanted, hitting the accelerator and not stopping until she was across the other side of the town where she called her husband.
She then reported the incident to the police.
The scare had made her think twice about rending assistance.
“I don’t know if I would stop again … particularly when I am on my own. I just don’t know. Once upon a time, I would help anyone,” she said.
She certainly ruled out putting herself in that circumstance if her two stepchildren were in the car.
Emerald Sergeant Dave Calkin said police responded to the call immediately, but did not find anyone at the site.
He said the pram in question had been left out the front of an Upper Beaconsfield home for hard rubbish collection, though the motorist claims there was “no other rubbish around” the pram when she pulled over.
The female motorist put out a warning on social media, claiming police had told her “similar things have been happening in the area.”
However, Sgt Calkin strongly denied the claim saying it was a “one-off” incident.
“She did the right thing to call us, but this was a one-off,” he said.
“We are getting numerous calls about this being an ongoing problem, but that is not the case. We have had nothing previous and nothing since this report.”
Earlier this month, a male motorist reported being stopped in a Pakenham street by three hooded people.
The motorist said two of the men were of Caucasian appearance, the other man was of Sudanese appearance and all were aged in their twenties. Each were described as “scruffy-looking”, wearing ripped jeans and hoodies.
Another motorist reported plates being thrown at cars in the Hills region.
Anyone with information about the incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
