Police investigate after six units damaged by fire – Wagga Wagga

Police are investigating after a block of units were damaged by fire at Wagga Wagga today.

About 9.20am (Saturday 30 July 2016), emergency services were called to Bavaria Street, Tolland, following reports of a unit block on fire.

Officers from Wagga Wagga Local Area Command and Fire & Rescue NSW attended and extinguished the fire.

Residents evacuated themselves and no one was injured; however; six units sustained significant damage.

Police are not treating the fire as suspicious.

Inquiries are ongoing.

Man charged after search warrant – Medowie

A man has been charged after a search warrant north of Newcastle.

Following an investigation by officers from Port Stephens Local Area Command, about 3pm today (Friday 29 July 2016), officers executed a search warrant at a home on Ford Avenue, Medowie.

Police arrested a 35-year-old man who is the subject of a Firearms Prohibition Order.

During a search of the home, police allegedly located a shortened rifle, a shotgun, a small quantity of crystal methamphetamine (‘ice’), a replica handgun, ammunition, and a butterfly knife.

The man was taken to Raymond Terrace Police Station where he was charged with possess prohibited drug; possess restricted substance; possess prohibited weapon; possess ammunition; possess shortened firearm; possess unauthorised firearm; possess unauthorised pistol; not keep firearm safe; and firearm found at premises subjected to a firearms prohibition order.

He was refused bail to appear at Maitland Bail Court tomorrow (Saturday 30 July 2016).

Man charged over fatal crash – Tamworth

A man has been charged following a single vehicle fatal crash earlier this month, south of Tamworth.

About 3pm (Tuesday 19 July 2016), police and emergency services were called to a crash on the New England Highway, about 25km south of Tamworth.

A Peugeot with four occupants onboard rolled, leaving them trapped. A 73-year-old male front seat passenger died at the scene.

Yesterday (Wednesday 27 July, 2016), police attached to the Oxley Crash Investigation Unit charged the 64-year-old male driver with dangerous driving occasioning death, negligent driving occasioning death and cause bodily harm by misconduct in charge of motor vehicle.

The man is expected to appear in Tamworth Local Court on 22 August 2016.

Police investigate truck crash – Ravensworth, near Singleton

Police are investigating following a truck crash near Singleton yesterday.

About 9.50pm (Wednesday 27 July 2016), police and emergency services were called to the New England Highway, near Hebden Road at Ravensworth, northwest of Singleton, following reports of a crash between a truck and a car.

On arrival officers found a B-double truck carrying paper, well-alight after crashing into a parked car.

The driver of the truck, a man in his 40s, was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance Paramedics for leg injuries before being taken to Singleton Hospital in a serious condition.

He was later flown by Westpac Rescue Helicopter to John Hunter Hospital for further treatment.

The New England Highway will be closed for some time while emergency services deal with the fire and the removal of the truck.

A crime scene has been established while officers investigate the circumstances surrounding the crash.

Local traffic diversions are in place and motorists are advised to avoid the area and refer to www.livetraffic.com for further traffic information.

New support for Tarcutta Truck Museum

The completion of a five-bay shed at the NSW town of Tarcutta and the forming of a new committee is evidence the Tarcutta Transport & Farming Museum is no longer just a pipe dream.

Bunny Brown has built the first shed at the Tarcutta Transport & Farming Museum and has formed a committee to help him complete the project.

Doug and Pam McMillan, Denis Robertson and George Goold recently agreed to form a committee with Bunny to advance the project. Bunny and his wife Diana spent $50,000 of their own money to construct the five-bay shed at Tarcutta, New South Wales.

Several historic trucks were already assembled at the site recently when Owner//Driver visited Tarcutta which is a popular change-over destination on the Hume Highway.

Bunny was a member of the Australian Road Transport Heritage Centre (ARTHC) committee which was formed in 2008 to build a truck museum at Tarcutta. But he parted with the group when ARTHC decided to relocate the project to Gundagai, NSW.

He has persisted with the Tarcutta proposal and convinced Wagga Wagga City Council to lease land to the Australian Long Distance Owner and Driver Association (ALDODA). Bunny, who lives nearby at Adelong, is National President of ALDODA.

The new committee members have a wealth of experience. Doug is Chair of the Australian Truck Drivers’ Memorial which is located in Tarcutta. Pam is Chair of Transport Women Australia. Denis is a Past Chair of the Australian Trucking Association. George was among hundreds of truck drivers stranded at Tarcutta in 1956 during the famous Tarcutta bog.

“I wouldn’t get a better committee,” Bunny says. “It’ll go ahead real big now, with these people on board.”

Bunny says the first stage of the museum will possibly open later this year. Anyone wishing to assist the committee, especially by donating funds or exhibits, is invited to phone Bunny on 0438 072 494 or Doug on 0407 835 115.

Police re-appeal for witnesses following critical incident – Maitland

Police are re-appealing for witnesses to come forward, following a critical incident investigation into the death of a woman while in custody at Maitland Police Station last week.

About 12.45am (Tuesday 19 July 2016), police located and detained a 36-year-old woman who was walking along Wollumbi Road, Cessnock, and appeared intoxicated.

Police had concerns for her welfare and conveyed her to Maitland Police Station.

About 6am the woman was found deceased.

A Critical Incident Team from Newcastle is currently investigating all circumstances surrounding the incident, with that investigation subject to independent review.

Investigators are hoping to speak with an anonymous male person who called police, and the occupants of a blue Commodore, who witnessed the woman’s actions prior to the arrival of police.

All information will be provided to the Coroner who will determine the cause of death and make any findings about the events leading to the woman’s death.

Police appeal for information on missing woman in state's Central Hunter region

Police are appealing for public assistance to help locate a woman missing from the state’s Central Hunter region since yesterday.

Bindi Cheers, 44, was last seen about 2pm (Sunday 24 July 2016), at a race club on Racecourse Road, Clarendon.

When Mrs Cheers failed to return home, officers attached to Central Hunter Local Area Command were contacted and commenced searching for her.

It is believed Mrs Cheers may have driven to a service station on Enterprise Drive, Beresfield, prior to going missing. She is believed to be on foot.

Mrs Cheers is described as being of Caucasian appearance, about 175cm tall, of slim build, with a fair complexion.

She was last seen wearing grey cargo pants, running shoes, and may be wearing a maroon jacket.

Anyone who may have seen Mrs Cheers is urged to contact Maitland Police via Crime Stoppers.

A search around the Enterprise Drive, Beresfield location will commence at first light today (Monday 25 July 2016).

Fatal crash south of Newcastle

Police will prepare a report for the Coroner following the death of a motorcyclist south of Newcastle yesterday.

Emergency services were called to Flowers Drive, Catherine Hill Bay, about 3.15pm (Saturday 23 July 2016), following reports of a collision between a motorcycle and a car.

The rider, a 33-year-old man from Medowie, was treated by NSW Ambulance Paramedics; however, died at the scene.

The driver of the car, a 19-year-old man, was not injured. He was taken to Belmont Hospital to undergo mandatory blood and urine testing.

A second motorcycle rider, a 47-year-old man from Singleton, was injured after the initial impact. He was taken to John Hunter Hospital with a suspected broken leg and ribs.

Flowers Drive was closed for several hours while police examined the scene.

Police are appealing for anyone with information about the crash to come forward.

Truck rollover on Hume Highway sees traffic diverted through Canberra

The Hume Highway has been been reopened after an earlier truck rollover east of Yass which saw traffic heading from Sydney to Melbourne diverted through Canberra for more than 12 hours.

The male driver was treated for minor injuries after his B-double truck rolled shortly after midnight on Friday at Mundoonen, about 25 kilometres east of Yass.

The highway was reopened shortly after 4pm on Friday.

The highway was closed to southbound traffic, forcing drivers heading south to divert down the Federal Highway to Canberra and back up the Barton Highway to Yass, adding at least 45 minutes to travel times.

The diversion was in place until about 12.50pm on Friday, when one southbound lane was reopened after a lengthy clean up operation due a diesel spill.

Earlier in the day a NSW Transport Management Centre spokesperson said specialist equipment had to be brought in after the “quite large” spill, meaning road service repairs would likely be needed.