Andrew stabbed by man in alleged Altona Meadows, Melbourne road rage incident

A brave victim has recounted his harrowing near-death experience when a “smiling” knifeman attacked him in Melbourne’s south west late last year.

Altona Meadows man Andrew, 54, was driving his white Ford Ranger ute along Carinza Ave near Oakdene Grove just before 2.30pm on November 2, 2021.

Andrew was heading to the supermarket and was not far from home when he was involved in an alleged road rage incident with a grey Volkswagen hatchback.

Both cars pulled over before Andrew was rushed by one of the men from the hatchback and seriously stabbed multiple times.

Recounting the horrifying ordeal, an emotional Andrew said his attacker did not say anything and was just “smiling”.

“I saw someone sprinting at me with a knife in their hand,” Andrew said during a Victoria Police press conference on Wednesday.

“I went to turn around to get back into the car, but I didn’t make it and he was stabbing me.

“He was looking at me over my left shoulder, smiling, big wide eyes. He was enjoying it.”

Andrew believed the man attacked him with the intention to kill.

“Where he stabbed me wasn’t a random attack, that was calculated,” he said.

“I was just lucky the second stabbing didn’t go in as far as the first; he must have run out of steam.”

He also alleged the hatchback deliberately “tormented” him to get him to pull over by breaking in front of him, cutting him off and swerving.

All Andrew could think at the time was “I’m dead” as he saw his life flash before his eyes following the brutal attack.

“I said goodbye to my mum and dad, my kids, my family. I thought that was it,” he said.

“Then the usual slide show of your life goes by when I said goodbye and let go.”

He credited a woman who witnessed the attack and her partner for saving his life.

“They kept on encouraging me to stay alive until the ambulance came. If it wasn't for her, I’d be dead,” Andrew said.

“Apparently she hit me really hard and got me going again to keep fighting.”

Andrew was taken to hospital with serious injuries and later released, but the attack has left a physical, emotional and financial toll.

“Trust is hard … I witnessed the most evilest thing you’ve ever seen,” he said.

“I walk around like a surfboard, my back is really stiff. I get nerve pain, aches and pains and pulling inside when I move around.

“My job requires me to drive around a fair bit … I can't sit for too long, I can’t travel for too long because I’m in pain. It has been hard.”

Andrew, who works as a broadcast engineer, said his employers have been “really good” after he took a lot of time off work and only recently started driving more.

But despite the challenges he now faced, Andrew said he would “keep having a go”, drawing on his time served in Cambodia from 1991-92.

“I‘ve been through a lot through my life and this is just another hurdle,” he said.

“I’m ex-defence, so I’ve been overseas and saw stuff; this is just part of the story, I suppose.

“I need to keep going, I’ve got kids. I’ve got a seven-year-old son and a 12-year-old daughter and they’ve been devastated.”

The occupants of the hatchback fled the scene following the attack and were last seen travelling north towards Point Cook Rd and the Werribee area.

Detective Senior Constable Kai Wilkie-Bourke called the incident a “random attack” and “traumatic”.

“Extremely violent … violence for the sake of violence,” she said.

There were at least two people in the hatchback – the driver and the person who stabbed Andrew.

The male offenders were described as African in appearance and aged in their early 20s.

Investigators have released CCTV of the incident and images of two men who may be able to assist with their enquiries.

Anyone who witnessed the incident, dashcam footage or information has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

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