Posted on 02/22/2010 3:41:03 AM PST by The Magical Mischief Tour
MOUNT CARMEL — Investigation of a fire that destroyed Mount Carmel’s mobile speed enforcement van early Sunday morning has been turned over to the state fire marshal’s office.
Mount Carmel Police Department Chief Jeff Jackson said the van, which actually belongs to Redflex Inc., was stationed in the vicinity of 1541 Independence Ave. shortly before 3 a.m. when it burned.
Jackson wasn’t speculating Sunday whether it was arson or a mechanical problem that caused the fire. The van was parked next to a barn, however, and the barn burned down as well.
“We turned the investigation over to the state fire marshal, and we can’t say a whole lot because it’s still an open investigation,” Jackson said. “Any time the van is set out for speed enforcement it is monitored from (Redflex headquarters in) Arizona. I know what time they lost contact with it — a little bit before 3 a.m. — but any images that might have been received by Redflex Inc. prior to the fire will become evidence in the fire marshal investigation.
“There’s a lot of wiring in that vehicle, and there’s a chance it wasn’t arson. If someone set it on fire, hopefully they were captured on camera and we can identify them.”
The van is a hybrid. It runs off battery until the power supply reaches a certain level, at which time the engine starts and recharges the battery. It was activated by the town last October for use on Carters Valley Road and other small roads where speeding has been a problem.
The value of the vehicle was estimated around $65,000. There was no estimate available for the barn, although Jackson said it did contain equipment and was a total loss.
Anyone who saw any suspicious activity around the speed enforcement van early Sunday is asked to contact the MCPD through Hawkins County Central Dispatch at 357-4141 or call the fire marshal’s hotline at 1-800-762-3017.
Oddly enough my personal hopes are the opposite.
Ahh the loss of a revenue enhancement vehicle, such a shame.
So many of these get burned that the companies behind them add surveillance cameras to watch the revenue cameras.
Don’t worry, Porkulus will give them a grant to replace the revenue van with six more just like it.
Come on guys this is not a laughing matter. /sarc
We had these things in Charlotte for a year or two. They were approved when the county said the proceeds would “go for the children’s schools”. Well the majority of the funds actually went to the company providing the service and someone sued the county to replace the funds under the law as these bozos wrote it. By that time so many people were pissed off about the cameras the whole program was scratched.
Big brouhaha going on around Chattanooga in several communities over red light cameras right now. They've been in use for several years in these places and they've been shown statistically that they are just revenue enhancers and do absolutely nothing to make things any safer on the roads. Color me surprised....../s
You’re right. It’s a shame that the barn got burnt.
"Who was that masked man?" (You have to be old to get that one.)
Now that's a real surprise to me too.
“which actually belongs to Redflex Inc.”
oh yeah, actually and all that.
hi ho silver
Did he leave a silver bullet?
Wolverines!!!
Not that it matters: For the loss of a $65K van and a barn of undetermined value, all of our insurance premiums just went up a tick.
Nope, but he left a burning revenue collecting van. (assuming the thing didn't short out on its own)
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.