Random arson attack on nurse’s car caught on CCTV

An alleged arsonist is at large after torching a nurse’s car in Adelaide’s north-east on Saturday night.

The car the day after the attack.

An arson attack on a nurse’s car has left the victim “shaken up” and wondering why she had her car targeted over the weekend, in a ”completely random” incident in Adelaide’s north-eastern suburbs.

Police and emergency services were called to Flinders Road at Hillcrest on Saturday night at 10:15 pm, after reports of a car fire.

The incident, which was captured on a neighbour’s CCTV, shows an unknown person, hidden under the dark of night, throwing liquid on a car before it burst into flames.

The owner of the car, who is a clinical nurse at the Royal Adelaide Hospital, told The Advertiser that it was a random attack and that she and her husband had no known enemies.

Firefighters attend to the car shortly after the attack.

She said it was the second time she and her family had fallen victim to crime.

“No (enemies) with our car, but somebody has broken into our house before at night and they took my son’s motorbike,” she said.

“So, this is the second time something has happened to us and we moved here in 2017.”

On Saturday night, the nurse told The Advertiser said her neighbour acted quickly after hearing a loud “bang” before witnessing the attack unfold, and a suspect fleeing through an unlit public park.

Damage to the car after the attack on Saturday night.

“We were inside the house, but then my neighbour said she heard a big bang and so she quickly looked at her camera and there was fire,” she said.

“She looked outside and then she saw our car was on fire so she quickly came out, got the hose, connected it to her tap and then went and extinguished the fire.

“There’s no light on these streets and if we had more lights in the park we could have seen who did it and what his motive was, and maybe help him out if he needed mental health support.”

The car the day after the attack.

The nurse says firefighters arrived quickly and found “two bottles” lying on the ground next to the car, which were tested for fuel.

Now, she and her husband will have to foot the bill for a new car, after their insurance claim was rejected on Monday.

“This is just a waste of our time when we have not done anything (bad), we work, we help with society, we are professional workers, we work hard and we come home to see all this,” she said.

“Then we have to go through all the hassle of talking to the insurance people, the towing people, and now we have to pay out of pocket to buy a new car.”

SA Police said firefighters were quick to contain the blaze, which they believe was “deliberately lit”.

SA Police are continuing to investigate the incident.