A hospitality worker who ‘lives the dream’ by traveling along NSW’s scenic central coast in her beloved van is crushed to death after it disappears – before it is found to have been destroyed.
Alisha Manning was living in her van when she parked it on a side street in Newcastle in early December so she could work and stay in a hotel over the summer period.
When she returned four weeks later, her van, which was registered, was gone, along with everything she owned and what was in it.
Ms Manning initially assumed a local resident had called the council to have the car impounded, but after knocking on the street and making numerous phone calls, she was able to track the car down to a car parts company.
She found her missing Mitsubishi Delica – which she had named Dahlia – completely destroyed and picked at the car yard, leaving her to demand answers about how it got there.
Alisha Manning parked her beloved van, which was also her home, on a side street in Newcastle for four weeks over Christmas while she was at work
When she returned, Mrs Manning discovered that someone had sold her car to a salvage company for spare parts and that it had been largely destroyed.
Ms Manning had been living out of the van for months while she traveled and now her belongings are gone and she has nowhere to live.
‘Where should I start rebuilding? I lived in her on and off for four years and I think the happiest memories I ever had in my life were spent in that van,” she says. told A Current Affair.
The van was found at ABCM Spare Parts, which claimed it had been contacted by the owner wanting to sell it.
An ABCM tow truck owner said the keys to the van were handed over to the company during pickup and management confirmed they had collected the person’s registration and personal information.
However, Ms Manning rebuked the claim, insisting she was still in possession of the van’s only set of keys.
Ms Manning had been living out of the van for months while she traveled and now her belongings are gone and she has nowhere to live
When the program visited ABCM with Ms Manning to check the condition of her vehicle, they were confronted by an employee who asked them to leave.
The unnamed employee claimed he had no idea where the van came from, but said his manager would have more answers.
When Mrs. Manning asked him to call the manager, he refused.
Ms Manning said the entire contents of the partially crushed van were her only belongings, including a $350 tent and a stove.
“It’s completely destroyed, every window has been smashed and my belongings are gone.”
Ms Manning had been ‘living the dream’ while camping on the Central Coast before her van was taken
After reporting the incident to police, Ms Manning was initially told it was a civil matter and they could not help.
Police are now investigating the circumstances surrounding the fraudulent sale of the van and Ms Manning is taking civil action.
Daily Mail Australia is not suggesting ABCM did anything wrong, just that it ended up with the car Ms Manning never wanted to sell.
Despite the setback, Ms. Manning said she plans to travel again.
“I’m not ready to turn around and say it’s over, (to say) that my dream and travels have come to an end because someone did something terrible to me,” Ms. Manning said.