FORKLIFTS move all sorts of things — wheat, barrels, old crates — but is a $110,000 Maserati an old crate?
A building worker in Sydney's Billyard Avenue, in Elizabeth Bay, evidently thought so yesterday when he found the dark blue sports car parked in a construction zone and decided to move it.
The SMS Construction employee hoisted the car two metres into the air before it flipped off the forks and crashed on its roof.
The luxury car was left in a construction zone, where parking is banned after 7am, two days ago by the owner's sister, the former Miss New Zealand Rachel Huljich.
Jason Huljich had left for a holiday in South America last week. "He's away for another two weeks in South America, so I haven't decided whether I'll tell him now or when he comes back," said a stunned Ms Huljich, who recently moved into a house on the same street.
Brad Harrison, a plumber who came out to get some tools, saw the whole thing. "He picked up the car with his forklift and then he turned while it was on, and suddenly the car rolled over and fell on its roof," he said with a laugh. "It was a large crunch. The car was rocking the whole time."
A crowd of up to 50 people gathered to inspect the damage to the 1999 3200 GT Maserati, including a smashed roof and windows.
It is unclear whether the car can be salvaged.
An Elizabeth Bay resident, Stephen Gray, said workers from SMS Construction had been moving cars with forklifts for some time while they worked on a four-storey building in the narrow street.
"They've been doing it for months now," he said.
"It's outrageous and just really arrogant."
Police interviewed and later released the forklift driver.
"The investigation is still continuing and it's unsure if charges will be laid," said Inspector Peter Brooks.
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