ROAD DEATH CHARGE
Police to allege Innisfail man was pushed in front of truck
A MAN will appear in court this morning charged with causing the death of an associate after police allege the pair became involved in a roadside fight in Cardwell where one was pushed into the path of a truck.
Zachary Crease, 46, (left) had been drinking with a group on June 21 when police will allege he and a 22-year-old got into an argument on Victoria St, the main Bruce Highway.
Police initially investigated the incident, which happened about 8.45pm, as a possible drunken misadventure and there were no witnesses and no CCTV.
But Tully police Det Sgt Steve Watts said as their probe continued the “suspicious circumstances just snowballed” and they called in the Homicide Investigation Unit from Brisbane to assist.
The 22-year-old is due to appear in the Cairns Magistrates Court this morning after being charged with manslaughter yesterday.
Both he and the man who died are from Innisfail and it is alleged the pair travelled to Cardwell together to attend the gathering.
Despite a number of people being at the private residence, none of them witnessed the incident.
However Det Sgt Watts said a Facebook “live stream” of the party by one of the other guests proved crucial to their investigation.
“It didn’t show the actual incident, but certainly it live streamed the lead-up which gave us a lot of help,” he said.
“We really had to push to get the evidence required. It could easily have been overlooked as a drunk pedestrian.”
Det Sgt Watts said they were also providing support to the driver of the B-double truck which hit Mr Crease, a man aged in his late 40s.
“It was traumatic for him,” he said.
“We’re providing him with as much support as possible.”