Sudbury Downs in Ontario and the Gold Coast Racecourse in Australia have both made the news for the same reason – their ambulances – although the reason why the vehicles have hit the mainstream media couldn’t be more different.
To start off with, the Sudbury ambulance – a customized 1974 Ford – is actually a bit of a classic at this point. Its retro-blue sheen, white block lettering and orange emergency lights are the first things that stand out when passersby’s catch a glimpse of it while out and about.
As an article published last spring by The Sudbury Star explains, the striking piece of American machinery is no longer housed at Sudbury Downs, where it was used to aid those competing on the racetrack, but finds itself in the Kathleen Street driveway of Sudbury resident Peter Zloczewski.
Zloczewski, a native of the local Donovan area where he is also a schoolteacher, told The Sudbury Star that he still gets behind of the van’s wheel from time to time – and, yes, the locals tend to notice.
The looks come Zloczewski’s way when he’s rolling through town. He said that he will stop and offer the odd ride if he spots a compadre in a jam.
"If a friend is drunk and needs a ride home, I will certainly stop," Zloczewski told The Sudbury Star with a laugh. "And I've been stopped by people who need a hand. A woman in a wheelchair flagged me one time and asked if I had a bandage."
Peter Zloczewski, pictured with the 1974 rescue vehicle that was once used at Sudbury Downs (Image courtesy Jim Moodie / The Sudbury Star)
Roughly 16,000 kilometres west, in Australia, the horse ambulance used at Gold Coast Racecourse has made local news after a brash, unnamed woman attempted to steal the vehicle when it was off premises.
As a report by bloodstock.com.au explains, the ambulance had transported a horse from the track to an equine clinic on January 13 after an accident in one of the on-track races.
The female in question, who tried to steal the ambulance while it was at the clinic, was arrested by Racing Crime Squad officers.
"Officials were forced to retrieve the vehicle's spare keys after the woman allegedly tried to steal it," a spokesman with the Queensland Racing Integrity Commission was quoted as saying.
"The woman has been charged with offences including unlawful use of a motor-vehicle and public nuisance."
(With files from The Sudbury Star and bloodstock.com.au)