BY SIMONE KEALY

Careless drivers have left several Monash students footing the bill after they failed to leave notes with contact details, despite causing damage to cars parked on campus.

Since Monash University scrapped parking permits and implemented Pay As You Use (PAYU) parking in February, staff and students undertaking in-person classes have been encouraged to drive to campus.

However, students are becoming increasingly cautious to leave their vehicles in Monash car parks after a string of hit and run incidents. 

Victims are using Facebook group Monash StalkerSpace, to report and discuss such incidents.

Monash University Law and Arts student Chloe Stephens discovered her car had been damaged while parked at a Clayton campus car park on March 11. The offender had not left a note, as required by law.

Ms Stephen’s car was hit with such force that it had moved in the parking spot, leaving it with damage so extensive the car was no longer drivable. 

“I got into the driver’s side and I couldn’t turn the engine on,” Ms Stephen said.

“I’m surprised that there wasn’t someone that heard [the incident], as it must have been loud.”

Ms Stephens said she was “blown away” at the thought of how fast the perpetrator must have been driving to cause such damage.

Although her insurance covered most of the $5000 damages, Ms Stephens said she still had to pay around $1000 in excess. 

“I do have savings, but I’m not exactly rolling in savings,” she said.

“Those savings were in case my laptop broke down or something else happened, not because of someone being dishonest.”

Despite Monash Security’s effort in helping Ms Stephens catch the perpetrator, there was no security footage of the incident and no sign of a damaged vehicle that could have hit her car.

“[Security] should have CCTV in those car parks,” she said.

“You’d definitely think that a popular and busy car park would be a good idea to put CCTV in.”

Drivers are required by law to leave a note containing their name and contact details on any vehicle they damage, under the Road Safety Act. Failure to do so could lead to a fine of up to $3300, loss of license for two years and, in the worst scenarios, up to two months jail.

Katherine Rosevear, a third-year Science and Arts student at Monash, discovered a car she had purchased just two days earlier had been hit in another Clayton car park on March 9. A note was not left and a lack of CCTV footage meant she had little chance of determining who caused the damage. 

Although Ms Rosevear said the damage was not extensive, she said she felt devastated due to how new her car was. 

“I literally bought [the car] two days before [the incident] happened, so this was the first time driving it.”

Ms Rosevear said Monash Security were not helpful, as they told her there was very little they could do without footage of the incident, raising the question of why CCTV cameras have not yet been installed throughout campus car parks. 

MOJO News contacted Monash Security, but did not receive a response.  

The cost to repair Ms Rosevear’s car will be between $300 to $700. 

She said while she did not currently have the money to fix her car she was not angry - just disappointed.

“Everybody has accidents, that’s just something that happens. I’ve had an accident at Monash as well, but I left a note and we sorted it out amongst ourselves,” she said.

“I have no hard feelings; I’d just like to get [my car] fixed because I can’t afford it.”

Anyone with information regarding these two incidents, or any other damage caused to cars parked on Monash grounds, can report it to Monash Security on 9902 7777.