Wheelchair Vans Destroyed By Fire In Marshfield
MARSHFIELD (CBS) - A Marshfield organization dedicated to helping the disabled is in need of a little help itself after two specially equipped vans caught fire and burned.
There is not much left of the two wheelchair accessible vans owned by Road to Responsibility, but a pair of burned out hulks.
"Our vehicles are really passports for those individuals to get them to their lives, to their jobs, to their friends, to their social connections that they have in the community," said the group's CEO Christopher White.
A surveillance video shows a ball of fire in the early hours on Wednesday. When the police arrived, both vehicles had erupted in flames.
"This was really a despicable act," said White.
White believes the vans were intentionally torched but the fire chief says at this point, there is no reason to believe this was a case of arson.
The cause is undetermined.
"We've been reviewing video, we'be been interviewing former employees to figure out if there may have been a motive there and the detectives are investigating," said Marshfield Police Sgt. Liam Rooney.
Rooney has not ruled out arson but he is keeping an open mind for other possibilities.
"And whenever we lose access to especially wheelchair vans it's pretty devastating," said White.
The two vans will cost between 80 to 100 thousand dollars to replace.
"You know these kids don't bother anybody. They work hard. You know they do their best. It's horrible," said a local supporter.
The organization says insurance will not cover all of the losses. The group is accepting donations through its Facebook page.