‘Nothing can prepare you': Twins go viral over TV interview
Identical Aussie twins have gone ridiculously viral in the US after giving an interview following a horror carjacking spree on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland.
Bridgette and Paula Powers, affectionately known as the 'Twinnies', had people asking 'What is going on in Australia?' after they spoke in-sync during their recollection of the chaotic highway scenes.
Their interview occurred just moments away from the scene of a crime that rocked the Sunshine Coast community on Monday afternoon.
A 22-year-old woman died from injuries sustained in a crash and a man was shot in a violent end to the Easter long weekend.
NSW man Bradley Donald Towle is being accused of crashing his Porsche and embarking on a series of armed carjackings.
The Twinnies, founders of Twinnies Pelican and Seabird Rescue, appeared on 7News Queensland after their mother, Helen Powers, came face-to-face with the man allegedly holding the gun.
The pair didn't skip a beat as they responded to the journalist's questions at exactly the same time and in exactly the same way.
'One guy, he was up there with our mum … he goes, run, he's got a gun,' the sisters said in unison.
'Our heart started to pound. I said, 'Oh mum, where's mum?' Poor mum was stuck up there,' they continued.
According to the twins, Mrs Powers rushed to the aid of a crashed car only to discover the alleged gun-wielding car thief inside.
'She goes, 'Are you alright?' Because he had blood all over his face. She goes, 'I'm here to help,'' they continued.
In a moment of quick thinking, Mrs Powers distracted the alleged gunman before fleeing to safety.
Fortunately, both the twins and Mrs Power managed to escape the terrifying ordeal unharmed.
The twins are no strangers to fame. They first gained recognition after working closely alongside and being mentored by late wildlife legend Steve Irwin.
The pair went viral in 2016 after appearing on Good Morning Britain where they spoke in unison during an interview with Piers Morgan, who couldn't stop laughing.
'This is one of the greatest interviews I've ever conducted in my life,' he declared at the time.
They confessed that they in fact did not rehearse their speech and that speaking in unison
was simply to do with how close they are.
In a 2021 interview with ABC's Australia Story, the pair further admitted that they had never spent a day apart, saying 'When we're separated we don't feel complete.'
'Our brains must think alike at the same time,' they added.
The two acknowledged that it is 'weird' to some and revealed they tried to alter the way they speak in the past.
'We do annoy a lot of people [but changing] doesn't feel right to us at all.'
The clip quickly drew in viewers around the world who couldn't believe what they were watching.
'This has got to be a skit,' said one dumbfounded viewer.
'This is the kind of scene you couldn't script, characters you couldn't invent. Watch it immediately with the sound on. Australia can't be real,' said another person.
'Nothing can prepare you for that interview,' added a third.
Bradley Donald Towle, 41, now under police guard in a hospital, was allegedly driving a red Porsche Macan that caused a six-vehicle crash.
The 22-year-old woman who died was a passenger in one of the cars involved.
The man allegedly exited the Porsche armed with a firearm and shot the driver of a SsangYong Rexton who stopped to offer assistance.
He shot the 62-year-old man in the arm after an altercation before stealing his Rexton, police alleged.
The good samaritan was taken to hospital while his car was found crashed at nearby Landsborough about 20 minutes later.
The man then allegedly stole a grey Mazda 3 driven by a 16-year-old girl at gunpoint.
The teenager and her parents ran from the vehicle and were not injured.
Police said they arrested the man about 12.48pm on Monday at a Landsborough intersection on the Sunshine Coast, about 30 minutes after the fatal crash.
The arrest was less than five kilometres from Irwin's Australia Zoo.
A firearm was found inside the vehicle, police said.
The man sustained head and body injuries in the traffic incidents and was transported to Sunshine Coast University Hospital where he remains under police guard.
The 41-year-old Tewantin man has been charged with 15 offences and his matter is set to appear in Maroochydore Magistrates Court on Tuesday.
'Investigations are continuing with further charges likely,' a police statement said.
Anyone with information should contact police.
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