A graffiti artist who climbed to the top of Melbourne’s Bolte Bridge is delaying peak hour traffic amid a stand-off with police. The vandal sprayed “Pam the Bird” on top of one of the bridge’s 140m high towers about 3am on Tuesday. They are now refusing to come down as police and fire rescue crews wait on the ground in a tense stand off.
Traffic Disruptions and Investigation
One lane of the Bolte Bridge has been closed and speed limits reduced to 40kmph, causing significant traffic delays across Melbourne. “Allow extra time citybound over the bridge,” VicTraffic said. Authorities are investigating whether the person on the bridge is Jack Gibson Burrell, the artist known for the Pam the Bird paintings, or a copycat. Burrell is currently awaiting trial for more than 200 criminal damage offences totalling approximately $700,000 in alleged damages.
Car Smashes into Sydney Home
In a separate incident, the front of a Sydney home was destroyed in a shocking crash in the city’s northwest. A car ploughed into the home on Providence Dr at Bella Vista about 10pm on Monday. The house was unoccupied, and Sunrise reports the residents are away on holiday. The driver — a man in his 20s — was not injured in the crash. Police are now investigating whether speed was a factor in the collision.
