Two Queensland police officers have been seriously injured, with one initially in a critical condition, after a stolen truck rammed their car near Toowoomba on Wednesday afternoon.
The officers were attempting to intercept the truck on Goombungee Meringandan Road at Meringandan, about 20 kilometres north of Toowoomba about 1:30pm.
Darling Downs Superintendent Douglas McDonald said the officers had pulled up beside the allegedly stolen truck and got out of the vehicle.
"They attempted to take the driver into custody … [but the truck] rammed the vehicle and officers, resulting in serious injuries," Superintendent McDonald said.
A 54-year-old male officer from to Toowoomba Property Crime Squad was flown to the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Brisbane with leg and internal injures.
He is now in a stable condition.
A 56-year-old male officer from the same squad was taken by road to St Vincent's Private Hospital.
Superintendent McDonald said a short time after the truck ploughed into the first police car, it collided with another two police vehicles and came to a stop on Paradise Road at Goombungee, near Toowoomba.
Two police officers sustained minor injuries in the latter incidents.
"A 45-year-old male, the sole occupant of the truck, was taken into custody," he said.
Superintendent McDonald said the truck was allegedly stolen from an address at Oakey this morning.
Two other people allegedly linked to that incident have also been apprehended by police.
Superintendent McDonald said the incident was "traumatic" for the officers involved.
"It’s really troubling to see people go to this extent [to avoid arrest] and put people’s lives at risk," he said.
Superintendent McDonald said the families of the injured officers were being taken to the respective hospitals.
Toowoomba North MP Trevor Watts, a member of the state opposition whose electorate borders where the incident took place, said the incident was unacceptable.
"We used to be worried in our homes in Toowoomba and just in a few short months we are now worried on our roads," he said.
"This is happening far too often."
