55019_01 The delivery van suffered extensive damage when it hit the kangaroo, which had to be put down.
– Mara Pattison-Sowden
IT IS “third time unlucky” for the owners of a Wandin electronics store after its second delivery van came to grief when it hit a kangaroo two weeks ago.
The third incident follows one of the company’s delivery vans being stolen in July and the Wandin store was then ram-raided two weeks later.
Jesse Boer was driving the delivery van up Clegg Road in Mount Evelyn when the kangaroo jumped in front of the van from the Warburton Rail Trail.
“It was such a fright – you don’t expect a kangaroo in Mount Evelyn, maybe driving up to Bendigo, but not here,” he said.
Police had to put down the kangaroo after the incident.
Boers RetraVision manager Chris Boer said the store was still recovering from the incidents and has offered a reward for the return of the stolen van.
“It’s quite unique, it had a big tray with a Tieman hydraulic tailgate lifter on the back,” he said.
Mr Boer said the white VW transporter had no signage and had not been found by police.
“We usually park the truck outside the shop but there were no car spots so it was parked at the far end,” he said.
“The truck was being loaded and the person must have seen the opportunity.”
The truck was loaded with nine DVD players ready to be taken to the Boer’s other store in Heathmont.
The incident happened on Friday 2 July after 1pm, and two weeks later the store was ram-raided in a separate incident.
Police said a silver Holden Rodeo ute was used to break into the store, where thieves stole thousands of dollars worth of high-tech televisions and computers.
Mr Boer said the raiders took less than 15 minutes to steal and drive off with six televisions, two computers and a digital radio.
If anyone knows anything of the whereabouts of the VW transporter, Yarra Ranges CIU can be contacted on 9739 2300.
