A Scots woman has been left devastated after joyriders stole her BMW before crashing and leaving the smashed up car abandoned near a Scots school.
Owner Erin O'Bryne's white BMW 1 Series was stolen from the family home in Garrowhill, Glasgow, at around 5.40am on Thursday January 27.
The motor was then found wrecked in front of Eastbank Primary School on Gartocher Road in Shettleston that same morning around 9.15am.
Pictures of the vehicle show the entire front-left wing caved in, with one of the front wheels hanging off.
Student social worker Erin O'Bryne, 21, has been left heartbroken by the incident, having worked hard to afford the car.
Erin told the Record: "It's so upsetting.
"I’d only had the car about two-and-a-half years and had juggled studying as a student social worker and working in social care all through the pandemic.
"It was horrible to think of all the hours of work and stress spent studying and working that went into paying for it, just for someone to take it for a joyride and leave it in bits."
Erin says she woke up on Thursday morning to discover her car was missing and believes the thieves entered the home before taking both her and her stepdad's keys.
Alarm bells rang when they realised the BMW was not in its parking space, before noticing the side door of her stepfather's car was also left slightly open.
Erin thinks the crooks tried both, but opted to take her car as it 'was the sportier model.'
Having reported it to the police, they then took to social media to see if anyone had any information about its whereabouts.
Later that morning, Erin started to receive reports that the car had been found after being crashed into a 20mph warning sign near the school.
Eyewitnesses told how the motor hit a speed bump at around 60mph before smashing into the pole. Two men were then seen fleeing the scene.
Erin added: "Because the incident happened at such a peak time outside of the school so many people witnessed it.
"A lot messaged me to say they seen it happen and described it as it sounded like an explosion had went off.
"A teacher from the school reached out and said that because of the pandemic they’re using phased times for the kids to go into school.
"Had it have happened even a couple of minutes earlier they could have hit one of the children as their driving was so erratic.
"The poor children must have gotten such a fright.
"It’s been really upsetting for me, for me to lose my car and personal belongings that were inside is devastating.
"But at the end of the day I know it’s just a car and it’s insured and I’m just glad nobody was seriously injured."
A Police Scotland spokesperson said: "Around 8.30am on Thursday, 27 January, 2022 officers received reports of a white BMW car being stolen from the Garrowhill area of Baillieston.
"Around 9.15am on the same day, police were called to reports of a white car having crashed on Gartocher Road, Shettleston.
"Enquiries are ongoing."
