FOUR cars, all owned by nurses working late shift at Ballarat Base Hospital, have been written off after a night of carnage on central Ballarat roads.
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A four wheel drive ploughed through the cars which were parked on Mair Street at 11.30pm on Thursday, all but destroying them as it left a trail of destruction more than a kilometre long.
One of the victims, Kate, told The Courier yesterday that she had the entire back of her car ripped off, leaving a pram which she kept in the boot destroyed on the road.
“It’s horrible, just horrible,” she said. “We all found out pretty quickly after it had happened, they came in and told us the numberplates that had been hit.
“I couldn’t believe it when I saw what was left of the car.
“In one fell swoop, the driver has devastated four hard working nurses on night shift. They’ve gone and completely pushed the cars that were all parked on Mair Street.
“It’s normally very safe, there’s plenty of lighting there. All the nurses park there.”
Nearby resident Justin said he heard a large bang and thought it may have been machinery falling.
“My wife and I looked out and we saw the car had smashed into the others cars, we then heard it trying to mount the curb,” Justin said.
“It was absolutely quiet, there was a security guard at ACU and my wife and I and another couple.
“We were inside at the time and came out to see what was going on.
“Whoever it was managed to get away, but they did a lot of damage.
Cars were still wrapped around trees on Friday morning as emergency crews worked to remove the smashed vehicles.
Other witnesses said skid marks and damage went from Windermere Street by the hospital as far as Ripon Street South by the Western Croquet Club.
The offending vehicle was eventually towed away on Friday morning after police had completed their investigations. The driver, believed to be the only occupant in the car escaped on foot.
Signage all throughout the area was destroyed, with some posts completely ripped out of the ground.
Police said they were called to a crash on Ripon Street in Ballarat just after 11.30pm on Thursday night.
A spokesperson said the driver was still on the run after abandoning the car.
“It is believed a gold-coloured Nissan Patrol was driving erratically west along Mair Street when it crashed into four parked cars causing extensive damage,” the spokesperson said.
“The driver has continued driving along Mair Street before turning into Ripon Street and crashing into a roundabout at the intersection of Dana Street.
“The driver, believed to be the only occupant of the vehicle, left the car and ran from the scene.”
The spokesperson said a 33-year-old Nerrina man, who is not believed to be the driver, was assisting police with their enquiries.
Anyone with any information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or Ballarat Police on 5336 6000.