Mercedes-Benz love affair Automotives: 21 August 17, 1990 25¢ N. Van artist reeling after work ruined in accident Fire hydrant flushes away $ thousands in prints, art A NORTH Vancouver ar- tist, who lost a room full of original art after a recent car accident, says the inci- dent has left him ‘‘crippl- ed” for life, ever though he was nut physically injured in the accident. By Surj Rattan News Reporter According to North Vancouver City Fire Department Deputy Chief Frank Legros, shortly after 10:30 p.m. Aug. 4, a 1973 Mercu- ry Monarch driving east on East Fourth Street, ran a stop sign at St. Georges Ave. The Mercury, driven by North Vancouver resi- dent Norman Bestwick, struck a North Vancouver City Fire Department tadder truck. The fire truck had its emergency lights and sirens on and was racing south down St. Georges on the way to an emergency call. CAR CRASHES The collision sent Bestwick’s cor crashing into a fire hydrant located on the southeast corner of the intersection. The hydrant sits directly in front of a house at 342 St. Georges. Victor Paquette, 45, rents the house. The crash caused the fire hydrant to burst. Water gushed towards the house. Water flooded the basement, where Paquette nad just stored several paintings and drawings which he iiad recently removed from a locker. He estimates that his basement was filled with between six and seven inches of water. Paquette. who was not at home at the time of the accident, claims he has fost mumerous art pieces which he spent hours to create. He also lost a number of books and records. He added that he has a collec- tion of about 2,000 record albums, some of which can’t be replaced. “TL have some books and re- cords | know Il never get again, said Pe quette adding, “A lot of these records | bought while travelling through Europe and while the actuct records may not DE INSIDE: NEWS photo Neil Lucente NORTH VANCOUVER artist Victor Paquette doesn’t have much to smile about as he examines some of tiis art work which was ruined by water after a suspected impaired driver hit a fire truck and fire hydrant in front of Paquette’s house and his basement was flooded with water. be ruined, the the albums are. “They don’t make these records or jackets anymore and [ would safely say that Po have some re- cords that no one else in’ Van- couver has," he said. jackets of HOME & GARDEN: 13.. Meanwhile. Bestwick, who was taken to Lions Gate Hospital and treated for minor injuries, has Since been charged with impaired driving and for refusing to) pre- vide a breath sample. North Van- comuser RONIP said, ART DAMAGED Bur Paquette says he has Tost about 30 limited edition prints and at deast 200016 300 hand-brushed Pieces OF art dug to water chamage. While stil calculating the mongiiry salne of the loss. he 4470 me this is like an injury. I’m crippled because of it, 79 — artist Victor Pacuette estimates he is out thousands of dollars worth of art. “To me this is Eke an injury. I'm crippled because of it,” Pa- quette told the News as he exam- ined the damaged artwork in his basement. ‘‘This represents about 20 years of my life. My timing for bringing thi, stuff over here wasn't very good. | had a lot of my stuff in a tocker."’ Paquette said ‘‘it was like a Hollywood set’ when he returned home to find the damage. **) was at a loss. 1 was just devastated. The police had ihe street blocked off and there were pieces of mulch floating down the street,”" said Paquette. ‘‘l was go- ing to take a small holiday for a few days at the end of this month...that's gone now.” RADAR TRAP CALL Paquette said he would like to seo radar traps set up on St. Georges Ave. He feels that too many motorists are now using the road as a main route to bypass travel- ling along Lonsdale Avenue. “This guy (Bestwick) didn’t make three stops in a row. He just drove right through past Chester- field. Lonsdale and the third stop he failed to make was St. Georges,”’ said Paquette. Paquette said that he does not really know at this point if he is angry at Bestwick. “It’s anger towards the loss of my work. T don’t think [ can ex- tend myself to the person. [t's the tragedy of the loss...tinte is such a limited thing.”’ He added that he has not even started to think about the possibil- ity of suing Bestwick for the loss of his art, “Tm covered with my home in- surance for the wider and proper- ty damage done, but they can't pay ome for the aggravation done.”