Paramedic Shane Edwards was driving home By Melissa Meehan
PARAMEDICS are fuming after one of their ambulances came under rock attack last week.
One of the rocks came through the windscreen and others smashed the ambulance’s passenger side windows during the attack.
Police are now on the hunt for the culprits and are appealing for information on the attack which took place early on Tuesday morning last week.
The incident has infuriated paramedics who say it is not the first time they have been targeted.
Ambulance officer Shane Edwards was on his way home from a call-out when the four wheel drive ambulance he was driving came under attack along the Warburton Highway near Don Road, Yarra Junction.
“At first I heard a thud to the car but didn’t think anything of it as it often happens when driving past trees and branches,” Mr Edwards said.
“But after a succession of sharp thuds and feeling a cold gust of air at the back of the car I pulled over.”
“The windscreen and side window were smashed.”
Mr Edwards said at that moment he realised that he had been ‘rocked’.
“This is not the first time in recent months.
“Early in the year another crew were rocked near Millgrove and this is the third time in the last for years for me,” Mr Edwards said.
“We seem to be under attack for what ever reason, I don’t quite understand it.”
He said that it was becoming very dangerous and that this kind of behaviour was frowned on by the majority of the community.
“It gave me quite a fright,” Mr Edwards said.
“Luckily we didn’t have a patient on board and no one got seriously hurt and that there was only vehicle damage.”
Mr Edwards said he found it difficult to accept the attack especially since the four wheel drive was clearly marked as an ambulance.
“I’ve got a feeling it was a group of young blokes just thinking it’s a bit of fun,” Mr Edwards said.
“But it is a serious thing to do.”
The ambulance under attack will now be taken out of service for an unknown amount of time.
While the Yarra Junction Ambulance service says the removal of the vehicle would not place the community at risk, Mr Edwards said that in the winter months the four wheel drive response vehicle was an important part of the service.
“In the colder months we need the four wheel drive to help us get to some of the more rural properties,” Mr Edwards said.
He pleaded with members of the community who might have any further information about the incident to contact police.
“If someone knows who it is, put your hand up and let’s sort it out,” Mr Edwards said.
“We provide a service to the community and I view it as an irresponsible act.”
Yarra Junction police said they would continue investigations into the attack on the ambulance.
