Shire Man Becomes Public Enemy #1 After Daring Driveway U-Turn

Riley Corbett | Crimes Reporter | Sutherland Shire Gazette

24 February 2025

A Sutherland Shire motorist has found himself at the centre of a full-scale online manhunt after committing what local Facebook vigilantes are calling “the worst crime since bin chickens invaded the Royal National Park”—using a stranger’s driveway for a quick U-turn.

The unnamed man, who reportedly took a wrong turn while driving at dusk, briefly entered and exited a residential driveway in a quiet Shire street, completely unaware he was about to become the most wanted man in local Facebook history.

By the time he arrived home, his grainy, dashcam-captured silhouette had already been uploaded to no fewer than three separate community groups, accompanied by angry emojis, calls for swift justice, and wild speculation about his motives.

“Does anyone know this man??” wrote one concerned resident. “Silver hatchback, looked VERY dodgy. Drove into my neighbour’s driveway, sat there for TWO WHOLE SECONDS before reversing out. Police have been informed.”

The post quickly gained traction, with keyboard detectives piecing together every detail. Some suggested he was casing houses, others accused him of suspicious activity, and one particularly alarmed commenter claimed he was “almost definitely working for the council, spying on illegal retaining walls.”

As tensions escalated, residents began calling for dashcam and CCTV footage to aid their investigation. "Check your cameras! This guy could be anywhere!" one commenter urged. Within minutes, multiple blurry screenshots of completely different vehicles flooded the comments, each met with furious speculation and theories ranging from “probable burglar” to “alien reconnaissance mission.”

Desperate to clear his name, the accused man tried commenting on one of the posts, explaining that he had simply taken a wrong turn. His message was immediately deleted by group admins, with one replying, “Nice try, buddy. We’ll let the police decide.”

At the time of writing, the man remains at large, with locals ramping up their 24/7 neighbourhood surveillance efforts. Police, when asked for comment, politely suggested everyone calm down.