A Bellambi mother-of-10 has described her family’s white-knuckle escape from a van that caught fire then exploded on the Hume Motorway.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Gina Faulkner had six family members on board as she set out for a baby shower weekend in Bathurst, Friday night.
With her nine-week-old grandson secured in a baby capsule and her two youngest children in the far back seat, without direct access to doors, she says she felt time slow as a passing motorist pulled up beside her, pumping his horn and yelling, “get out of the car, you’re on fire!”.
“I was doing 90kmh and the smoke was disappearing behind me, but then when I pulled over and the smoke started to pour out, I realised how bad it was,” Ms Faulkner told the Mercury.
“I put the hazard lights on and slammed it into park.
“I actually had a baby die of cot death once, and that’s how it felt. My body just went into shock and it was like everything went in slow motion.
“I was just screaming, ‘get the baby out! Get the kids out!’. The baby was the hardest because he was strapped into the capsule. It was terrifying.”
On board were daughters Ashleigh Faulkner, 20, Lauren Kinney, 14 and Abbey Kinney, eight; son Mitchell Kinney, 10; baby grandson Dustin Wright and Dustin’s father, Valentine Wright, 30.
They left everything but Dustin’s nappy bag and Ms Faulkner’s phone as they fled. Ms Faulkner estimates the van exploded in flames less than two minutes later, burning to the shell on roadside about 5kms east of the Picton Road turnoff.
The family bought the van, a Toyota Avensis, from a second-hand car yard five years ago.
Mindful of the long drive ahead, Ms Faulkner said she took it to an area mechanic earlier on Friday after noticing it overheating. Her husband had repaired the problem but she wanted to make sure it would withstand the journey.
“They assured me that it would be fine, and that if it overheated I’ve got to stop and pour water into the overflow bottle that comes off the radiator,” she said.
Ms Faulkner says she did this before reaching Picton, but the overheating light came back on shortly before a ticking noise and a vibrating sensation came from under the car, moments before the fire sparked.
The loss of the car and the family’s belongings, including the childrens’ best clothing and some of husband Steve Kinney’s work tools, has left a gaping hole in the family’s already stretched budget.
Mr Kinney lost his long-term tree lopping job at Christmas. He has since resumed working at a fencing company, but in the tight three months without income, the family let their car insurance lapse.
“We couldn’t keep up the [insurance] repayments because we were paying $415 a week in rent, and Steve lost his job,” Ms Faulkner said.
“The sad part is, I haven’t even paid that car off. I’m still making payments to [Motor] Finance Wizard; I’ve been paying it off for three years.”
Ms Faulkner already had five children when she met Mr Kinney through a mutual friend 18 years ago. She said neither had intended for their family to grow so large.
“He had a bad accident years ago and was told he couldn’t have kids. But if there’s a way, I’ll find it, because I get pregnant really easily.
“I love it [being a mother-of-10] I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
“I just thank God that that car drove past and alerted me that I was on fire, we would have blown up in that car.
“Standing on the side of the road I was just watching it thinking, we could have all just been dead. It was like a dream.”
Another of her children, Sarah Faulkner, has started a gofundme page aimed at fundraising for a new car and some of the family’s lost belongings.
Visit https://www.gofundme.com/d6axp-family-car-caught-fire to contribute.