EMERGENCY REPORT
Dubbo crash charges
A MAN has appeared in court facing numerous charges following a two-vehicle crash in Dubbo on Monday, November 25. Shortly after 2pm emergency services were called to the intersection of Mitchell Highway and Wheelers Lane after reports a Holden Commodore and a Toyota Hilux had collided.
The four occupants of the Holden fled the scene on foot – police established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
The 49-year-old male driver of the Toyota was treated at the scene before being taken to Dubbo Hospital for treatment of nonlife threatening injuries.
A short time later three men and a woman were arrested at a shopping centre on Windsor Parade and taken to Dubbo Police Station.
A 32-year-old man was charged with police pursuit – not stop – drive recklessly, knowingly possess identity plate not on correct vehicle, drive furiously cause bodily harm, never licensed person drive vehicle on road, drive recklessly/furiously or speed/manner dangerous, negligent driving, fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury and not give particulars to injured person.
The Holden Commodore was seized, and the two other men and woman were released without charge.
Dubbo Photo News has learned this accident and subsequent crime scene had a significant impact on school bus schedules during the afternoon.
Wellington house fire
POLICE have started an investigation after a home was destroyed by fire in Wellington early Tuesday morning. Not long after midnight on November 26, emergency services were called to a home on Arthur Street following reports of a house fire.
First responders found the house well alight and police evacuated the premises and a house next door as NSW Rural Fire Service controlled the blaze.
One occupant of the home was taken to Wellington Hospital for monitoring.
Investigations are ongoing
and the fire is being treated as suspicious.
Police wish to speak with three people who were seen in the Simpson Lane area at the time of the incident.
Simulated emergency under bridge
MOTORISTS passing over the L.H. Ford Bridge on the weekend may have taken a second look underneath as an emergency services exercise was played out.
Dubbo Rescue Squad combined with Roads and Maritime Services (RMS), contractor Freyssinet ST, and other emergency agencies to host the simulated emergency response event.
Warnings were put out to anyone who was going to be around the bridge to stay within the cordoned off areas and listen to any instructions from personnel involved.
Dubbo police asked for drivers not to cause a hazard to others by slowing down and trying to look over the bridge, directing anyone who wished to have a closer look to drive down to the oval on Bligh Street.
The exercise was designed to test local capacity to respond to an emergency under the bridge, and to ensure emergency services
are in the best possible position to respond adequately should a real life incident occur.
Trangie diesel theft
POLICE have charged a man and woman following the theft of diesel from a Trangie farm.
A farmer reported the theft of 300 litres of diesel from overhead tanks at a property on Montgomery Road on November 21, with police able to view CCTV footage of the incident.
On November 24, police arrested a 26-year-old man and an 18-year-old woman from Narromine in relation to the offence.
The woman was issued with a Field Court Attendance for the offence of trespass and will appear before Narromine Local Court on January 7 next year.
The man was charged with seven offences including larceny, trespass, goods in custody, possess housebreaking implements, possession of equipment for administering prohibited drugs, and have custody of an offensive implement in public place.
He was bail refused to appear before Dubbo Local Court.
Rural Crime Prevention Team state coordinator, detective Inspector Cameron Whiteside, said the arrest highlights the benefits of installing CCTV cameras at rural properties.
“This arrest highlights the benefits of not only having quality covert cameras in and around your farm, but the timely reporting of those rural crimes to your local police,” Det Insp Whiteside said.
“You can’t underestimate the benefits of having quality images that assist investigators swoop on those responsible, preventing further crimes on your farm and your local community.
“This is an example of local uniform police and farmers addressing local crimes together – the sooner rural crimes are reported the more likelihood there is of a positive result,” he said.
Old trangie pumper crushed by tree
A FORMER Trangie fire truck has been crushed by a tree while on a fireground west of Macksville on the NSW north coast.
Two firefighters suffered minor injuries and they’re okay and were keen to get back to the fires, so that’s great news.
TRUCK 780, Aka Tanker 397 Sierra, was born in an Isuzu Factory in 1994 and was purchased by the then NSW Fire Brigade and converted into a firefighting appliance and commissioned in 1996 where she was deployed to 216 Station at Bathurst.
She served there until 2006 where she transferred to Trangie 465 Station and worked until 2016 as the town’s primary rescue appliance.
After that she bounced around a few stations at Sydney and in 2017 made the move up the coast and arrived in Nambucca Heads as a SEV (Service Exchange Vehicle) and Strike Team Tanker.
Orana fire cadets graduate
FIVE members of the Orana Cadets program have been congratulated for their successful completion of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Secondary School Cadet Program.
Member for Dubbo Dugald Saunders said the program is the ideal way to introduce young people to the important role volunteer fire-fighters play within communities.
“Throughout the program, these students have gained skills that will last a lifetime,” Mr Saunders said.
“As well as examining fire behaviour, participants have been taught essential fire safety techniques and gained an appreciation of the work our emergency services do every day in this state.
“The cadet program also offers students the opportunity to experience first-hand the commitment and camaraderie that comes with volunteering,” he said.
RFS Superintendent Lyndon Wieland also thanked the volunteers and staff who facilitated the course.
“NSW RFS members thoroughly enjoy working closely with schools and communities to ensure that everyone is as well prepared as possible for the very real threat of fire,” Superintendent Wieland said.
“Over the years this program has been run, we’ve seen a high proportion of cadet members go on to become active fire-fighters in their local brigades.
“The service is proud to pass on the ideals of community service, dedication and teamwork to the next generation,” he said.
Motorbike pursuit
POLICE who saw an unregistered motorbike travelling along Narromine’s Murgah Street on the afternoon of November 20 allege the rider failed to stop when indicated to do so and continued to travel within the township at speeds of up to 100km/h.
The 29-year-old was arrested and taken to Dubbo Police Station where he was charged with police pursuit, drive manner dangerous, and unlicensed driver-never held license.
Two warrants for assault and dishonesty offences were also executed.
Knife pulled at South Campus
TWO teenagers were injured during an alleged fight at Dubbo College South Campus on the morning of November 20, an event that was reported Australia-side and lit up social media locally.
Police were told the two teenagers confronted each other when one 16-year-old boy allegedly pulled out a knife and swung at another 16-year-old boy, striking him under the chin.
It will be alleged the boy swinging the knife sustained an injury to his hand from the same knife.
Other students later became involved in the fight and sustained minor injuries.
One of the two boys was taken to Dubbo Base Hospital with nonlife threatening injuries while the other was treated on scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics for a minor injury.
Investigations into the incident are continuing.
Mudgee fires investigated
MUDGEE Police are chasing information after two fires in the town on November 21.
Police and NSW Fire and Rescue were called to a grass fire on the edge of Albens Lane about 3.45pm – the fire was lit on the edge of a property and was noticed by a resident and doused prior to emergency services arriving.
About ten minutes later a second grass fire started in a lane way between two houses at the end of Charles Lester Place.
This fire spread under a fence into the back yard of a home, burning a portion of the rear yard but luckily the resident was home and was able to control the fire before any major damage occurred.
Police are treating the fires as suspicious and are seeking information from the community regarding any suspicious activity they may have noticed in the area around that time, or any other information that may assist.
If you can assist please contact Mudgee Police on 6372 8599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Stock seized – Binnaway
THERE have been claims and counter-claims after the RSPCA seized 1100 cattle from five farms near Binnaway earlier this week.
The RSPCA said more than 200 beast carcases had been found in varying stages of decomposition and that at least one farmer hadn’t complied with instructions that had been issued regarding the feeding and management of the cattle.
One farmer said he’d only just bought $50,000 of hay for his stock then had the RSPCA turn up unannounced to take his cattle to be sold at Dubbo’s saleyards.
I’d say a lot of people will be keeping a close eye on this one.
Lightning Ridge drug charges
A MAN has appeared in court following an investigation into the supply of methylamphetamine in Lightning Ridge.
In July this year police established Strike Force Bellereeve to investigate the street-level supply of methylamphetamine in the town.
On November 20 investigators arrested a 31-year-old man at a business on Opal Street and following the arrest police executed a search warrant at the man’s residential mineral claim on the outskirts of the town.
Officers seized cannabis leaf, seeds and plants; methylamphetamine, mobile phones and digital scales.
The man was taken to Lightning Ridge Police Station where he was charged with a number of offences.
Central North Police District Commander superintendent Andrew Hurst said this arrest was the culmination of an extensive investigation into the supply of prohibited drugs in the Lightning Ridge area.
“We have sent a message to the community that we will take action and respond to information about drug supply occurring in our communities,” Supt Hurst said.
“We need more information from across the Central North Police District; from Nyngan to Cobar and Bourke to Walgett.
“If you have information about drugs in your community, contact your local police station or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000,” he said.
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