trucks – Michmutters

Tag: trucks

Categories
Australia

Vintage fire truck with Indigenous history found by chance and returned to Bellbrook for restoration

Vintage fire truck with Indigenous history found by chance and returned to Bellbrook for restoration

A rural fire brigade captain was driving through a forest in northern New South Wales when a flash of color caught his eye.

He was compelled to investigate and was thrilled to discover it was a vintage Bedford fire truck.

The 1960s vehicle had belonged to the remote Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade, west of Kempsey on the Mid North Coast, and was used by what is believed to be Australia’s first all-Indigenous Rural Fire Service crew.

Bellbrook Brigade captain Adam Hall said it was an exciting find.

A man in a yellow firefighter shirt stands in front of an old truck.
Bellbrook captain Adam Hall is thrilled to have the old truck back.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

“Captain of the Newee Creek Brigade in the Nambucca Shire was driving through the Tamban State Forest,” Mr Hall said.

“Through some trees he noticed a little flash of red and saw an old fire truck and as firefighters tend to do, he got a bit excited, and he went and had a look and as he got closer, he saw Bellbrook was emblazoned on the side.”

The Bellbrook Brigade launched a public fundraiser so it could purchase the vehicle from the collector who had acquired it- the truck has now been moved from that property back to Bellbrook, with big plans for its restoration.

A firefighter leans on the front of an old rusty fire truck.
Gerard “Chunk” Wade served on the old truck in the 1980s.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

Mr Hall said the truck was supplied to Bellbrook in the 1970s and became the primary truck used by an all-Indigenous branch based at the local Thungutti Aboriginal community in the early 1990s.

“We have a very rich history of Indigenous participation in the brigade here and the truck ended up as the truck that was used by the first all-Indigenous fire crew,” he said.

“We believe it was the first all-Indigenous fire crew in the country… so rebuilding it is very important for the community, for our Thungutti people here as well, and helping to bring some pride into our little village.”

Special memories of Indigenous crew

A young Indigenous man sits behind the wheel of an old rusty fire truck.
Ray Quinn remembers his dad serving in the original Indigenous crew.(Supplied: Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade)

The truck held special memories for Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade member Ray Quinlan. His late father Eric was part of the original Indigenous crew.

An Aboriginal man sitting in a fire truck.
Eric Quinlan was part of the all-Indigenous brigade at Bellbrook.(Supplied: Adam Hall)
An Aboriginal fire crew holding a sign saying 'Bellbrook' with the Aboriginal flag on the sign.
In the early 1990s, the truck was used at the local Bellbrook Aboriginal community.(Supplied: Adam Hall)

“It means a lot, my old man used to be out all the time in the fire brigade… I just used to always say, ‘I want to come’,” he said.

“I just want to keep following his footsteps.

“Looking at all the old photos of him back in the day in his fire brigade suit, it just makes me real proud of him and I want to make him proud of me.”

Bellbrook Brigade member Elwyn Toby also remembered seeing the truck in action at the Thungutti community.

“It was great to see our Indigenous leaders step up and have a go,” he said.

“It inspired me as a child, watching our uncles and aunties jump on the truck and become firefighters.”

A different era of firefighting

Two old red fire trucks on a country road.
The truck at the Bellbrook centenary parade in 1992.(Supplied: Adam Hall)

Bellbrook Rural Fire Brigade deputy captain Gerard ‘Chunk’ Wade recalled serving on the truck in the 1980s.

“I remember standing in the back, and there’s not a lot of creature comforts of safety. You had a bar to hang on to and off you went into the fire,” he said.

“It was just a blast from the past just to see it come back to Bellbrook. It’s just a piece of history, I think that it’s just gold.”

A firefighter stands on the back of an old fire truck.
Gerard Wade remembers heading into fire events standing on the back of the old truck.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

Big restoration plans

The front of an old truck with the word 'Bedford' across the front.
It’s expected to take a couple of years for the truck to be fully restored.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

Thanks to social media, there have been offers from around the country to help with the truck’s restoration.

“I expect it will take two to three years to get it somewhere near its former glory, at which point we hope to be able to go to schools and to shows and rusty iron rallies, that sort of thing and just show it off and put Bellbrook on the map,” Captain Hall said.

“We are only a very small, fairly isolated village here and it’s nice to be able to show the rest of the world who we are.”

A man crouched near an old engine at the back of the old fire truck.
Offers to help with the truck’s restoration have flowed in from around the country.(Supplied: Adam Hall)
A rusty sign saying Bellbrook on the side of an old truck.
The old Bellbrook sign on the side of the truck caught the eye of a local fire captain.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

Bringing community together

Bellbrook’s current truck now also has ties to the region’s Indigenous heritage, featuring an artwork created by Mr Toby, who works as a local cultural arts teacher.

An Aboriginal man stands with a firefighter looking at an Indigenous artwork in blue tones, on the side of a red fire truck.
Elwyn Toby (right) has created an Indigenous artwork for the current Bellbrook fire truck.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

“The artwork is recognized for our local Indigenous population in Bellbrook and the wider community,” he said.

“In the blue you have the fire truck, then water around the truck… the symbols in the yellow are people.

“It’s about coming together in the fires.”

A modern fire truck sitting next to an old rusty fire truck.
It’s hoped the old and new trucks at Bellbrook will eventually be displayed side-by-side.(ABC Mid North Coast: Emma Siossian)

.

Categories
US

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy found not guilty of killing 7 motorcyclists

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy found not guilty of killing 7 motorcyclists

A commercial truck driver who took drugs on the same day he was part of a grisly New Hampshire crash that killed seven motorcyclists was acquired Tuesday on all charges.

Driver Volodymyr Zhukovskyy told police at the time he caused the accident, but jurors in less than three hours found him not guilty of seven counts each of manslaughter and negligent homicide, as well as one count of reckless conduct.

Zhukovskyy, 26, had been in jail since the June 21, 2019 crash where he continuously swerved back and forth leading up to the head-on collision.

The Massachusetts resident cried as the verdict was read and pointed toward the sky as he left the Coos County courtroom.

“Our hearts go out to the victims and their families. Our trial team did an excellent job and we firmly believe that the State provided its case beyond a reasonable doubt,” New Hampshire Attorney General John Formella said in a statement.

The father of one of the victims was stunned by the verdict.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Mass., reacts to the not-guilty verdict at Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster, New Hampshire Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy, of West Springfield, Mass., reacts to the not-guilty verdict at Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster, New Hampshire on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
AP

“Killing seven people and he gets off. That is unbelievable,” said Albert Mazza whose son Albert “Woody” Mazza Jr. died in the crash.

“It doesn’t make much sense,” the heart-stricken dad added. “There are seven people dead. There are seven families affected. It’s strange that he didn’t get something.”

But the defense team actually pointed the finger at Mazza Jr., saying he was drunk at the time of the crash. Lawyers for Zhukovskyy also argued Mazza wasn’t looking when he lost control of his motorcycle and slid in front of the truck.

The judge previously tossed eight charges connected to whether Zhukovskyy was impaired at the time of the crash.

The family of Zhukonskyy, who was born in Ukraine, was grateful for the “honest and fair trial.”

“Our family expresses its deepest condolences to the family and friends affected by this tragedy,” they said, adding he was “very honest and kind man. He would never have done anything to hurt anyone.”

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement issued an immigration detainer on Zhukovskyy following the crash, which was executed after the verdict, said Coos County Corrections Department official.

He was served papers to appear before an immigration judge and will remain in ICE custody before the hearing, ICE said.

Zhukovskyy’s commercial driving license was supposed to be revoked in Massachusetts when the crash occurred because of a drunken driving arrest in Connecticut two months beforehand.

Volodymyr Zhukovskyy looks back at the gallery before closing statements started at his trial at Coos County Superior Court in Lancaster on Tuesday, Aug. 9, 2022.
Volodymyr Zhukovskyy looks back at the gallery before closing statements started at his trial.
AP

But it wasn’t suspended due to a backlog of cases.

The killed motorcyclists, part of the Jarheads Motorcycle Club, were from New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Massachusetts and ranged from ages of 42 to 62.

Victims Mazza, couple Edward and Jo-Ann Corr, Michael Ferazzi, Desma Oakes, Daniel Pereira, and Aaron Perry were traveling in a larger group at the time of the crash.

Defense attorney Jay Duguay argued authorities ignored their own accident reconstruction unit that contradicted the assertion that Zhukovskyy crossed into the oncoming lane. He also mentioned inconsistencies from witnesses.

Prosecutor Scott Chase acknowledged the inconsistencies but noted witnesses on the stand were talking about “some of the most unimaginable chaos, trauma, death and carnage that we can even imagine three years later.”

He also argued Zhukovskyy continued to swerve “until he killed people.”

With Post wires

.

Categories
US

Manhunt over bloodied NJ woman sparked by misunderstanding

Manhunt over bloodied NJ woman sparked by misunderstanding

A nationwide manhunt over a bloody, thought-to-be-abducted woman in New Jersey was sparked by an accident and a bizarre misunderstanding, police told The Post Friday.

The unnamed woman — who was spotted screaming and bleeding inside a tractor-trailer on Route 130 Wednesday — was hurt when her husband hit the brakes to avoid an accident, South Brunswick Police Deputy Chief Jim Ryan said.

The woman, who was standing between the cab and the sleeper of the rig, flew forward and was left bleeding and screaming, he said.

But a worker from a nearby car rental company who did not see the big rig stop short, saw the woman bleeding and thought he might be witnessing a kidnapping and called police, Ryan said.

“He’s standing in a parking lot and he hears someone yell ‘help,’” said Ryan, adding the witness called police.

The mix-up triggered a multi-agency search for the truck and, after media reported the incident, at least 100 calls about possible sightings from Texas to California, Ryan said.

According to police, the nationwide manhunt for a though-to-be-abducted woman in New Jersey was due to a misunderstanding.
According to police, the nationwide manhunt for a though-to-be-abducted woman in New Jersey was due to a misunderstanding.
South Brunswick Police Department

Police used surveillance footage, including from local businesses, along with tips to track down the 50-something married couple and determine there was no foul play Thursday, Ryan said.

“It’s amazing what people can do if they mobilize,” he said. “I’m glad the outcome was positive.”

Despite the weird mix up, he said the witness ultimately did the right thing by reporting the woman in distress.

“He actually saw it accurately, and made some great observations,” Ryan said.

.

Categories
Australia

Quick-thinking driver saves more than 100 head of cattle from Tanami Road truck fire

Quick-thinking driver saves more than 100 head of cattle from Tanami Road truck fire

A quick-thinking truck driver saved more than 100 head of cattle after one of his trailers caught fire while he was traveling on one of the Northern Territory’s roughest and most remote roads.

Late last month Cory Stirling was transporting six decks of cattle to Alice Springs via the Tanami Road when he heard a loud bang at about 10pm.

Colloquially known as the Tanami, the road connects Central Australia to the Kimberley region of WA, stretches over 1,000 kilometers, and is notorious for its poor condition.

Mr Stirling explained he pulled the road train up immediately and ran down the side of the 50-metre-long rig to find his rear airbag brake had blown and was on fire.

“I see my airbag was alight so, I just ran back up to my truck to grab my fire extinguisher, went back, tried to extinguish, but it ran out of fire powder,” Mr Stirling said.

“Then it got under the tires, then once they lit up, she was all over.”

Fire damage on a road train trailer.
Fire damage to a trailer on the Tanami Road.(Supplied)

Mr Stirling had to act quickly to separate the trailers to ensure the safety of the cattle.

“I dropped the front run-throughs and then just started jumping as many cattle off [as possible],” he said.

One died on the crate and another had to be euthanized.

“It’s tough — it’s really tough,” Mr Stirling said.

“You’ve got love animals and if you love doing something, like I love carting cattle… it’s really tough to watch.”

A representative of the station where the cattle came from ABC Rural has informed that the remaining cattle on the front two trailers have safely arrived in Alice Springs.

The cattle let off the burning trailer were tracked by helicopters the next morning and moved to a water point on a nearby station and will be collected at a later date.

A defaced road sign with red dirt in the background
A defaced truck stop road sign along the Tanami Road.(ABC Rural: Hugo Rikard-Bell )

Poor condition of Tanami an old foe

Mr Stirling pointed to the poor condition of the road as the primary culprit for the loss of cattle and damage to his truck.

“You have a brand-new crate that could do the same thing,” he said.

“You prep yourself for it, but it’s very harsh conditions, you let your tires down to half the per cent of PSI but still it’s terrible.”

.