Gore Community Rallies After Man’s Car Destroyed

A retired Gore man has been left “overwhelmed” by the kindness of his community after his car was destroyed in a suspected arson attack and locals stepped in to help.

Emergency services were called to Frank Street around 1am on January 19, where a black 2018 Holden Captiva was found on fire. Police attended the scene and carried out an examination, with Detective Sergeant Brian McKinney confirming that several lines of enquiry were being followed. He urged anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage from nearby streets to come forward.

The vehicle owner, who had no insurance, was initially told he could be liable for up to $3500 in road repair costs due to the damage caused by the fire. Normally, costs like this are recovered from the at-fault party or their insurer, but as no one had been held responsible, the cost was being passed to the vehicle owner.

After learning of his situation, Gore District councillor Donna Bruce visited the man and shared his story online, explaining that he lived alone, had health issues, and couldn’t afford car insurance on his pension.

“I just felt sorry for him, to be honest. I’m a single income homeowner myself and I know what it’s like to struggle,” she said.

Her post prompted an outpouring of support. A local panelbeater offered to remove the destroyed car free of charge, while Mayor Ben Bell confirmed the council would waive the road repair bill. On top of that, an anonymous donor stepped forward to find the man a replacement vehicle.

Bruce said the generosity shown reflected the community’s strong spirit. “It’s a great little community. I’ve had messages offering trailers, money — all sorts of things. I haven’t even had a chance to look at them all yet,” she said.

She planned to update her post to let people know everything had been sorted. The man had also promised to take out third party insurance once he was back on the road.

Bruce praised both the council and members of the public for their compassion. “I’m really glad the council’s been compassionate in a situation like this, and I’m grateful to everyone who’s reached out to help,” she said.

Police investigations into the suspected arson are ongoing.