Tasmania breaking news: Police reveal more about Magra crash
Police have revealed more edtails about a crash which claimed the life of a 33 year old man, north of Hobart. New information.
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More details revealed about Magra crash
October 14, 4pm
Residents of a small town in the Derwent Valley rushed to the aid of a driver who crashed into a power pole in the early hours of Saturday morning but the man was pronounced dead at the scene despite their efforts to help him.
The 33-year-old New Norfolk man, who was the sole occupant of the vehicle, was driving south in a grey Toyota HiLux ute on Back River Rd at Magra when he hit a power pole about 3.15am.
Tasmania Police said residents living along the road rushed to the scene after hearing the crash and tried to help the injured driver, who was trapped in the wreckage. Early investigations have shown that inattention and potentially fatigue were contributing factors to the crash, according to police.
It’s the 28th death on Tasmanian roads this year.
Investigations are continuing into the Magra crash and a report is being prepared for the coroner.
Inspector Adam Mollineaux said the residents waited with the driver for police and emergency services to arrive.
“Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the people at the scene, the driver was pronounced deceased,” he said.
Inspector Mollineaux said being confronted with the scene of the crash would have had “an impact” on the people that came to the assistance of the driver.
Members of the public who may have dashcam or CCTV footage of a grey Toyota HiLux ute driving on Back River Rd “in or around the Magra area” about 3am on Saturday morning are being urged to contact police on 131 444.
This was the third fatality to have occurred on Tasmania’s roads in the space of a week.
On Thursday, two cars collided at the intersection of Margaret St and Frederick St, Launceston, about 9.20pm.
Two pedestrians standing near the intersection were struck by one of the vehicles involved in the crash, with a 26-year-old man dying at the scene.
Meanwhile, at about 8.55pm on Monday, a woman died after a two-vehicle crash on the Brooker Hwy at Queens Domain.
“Three lives lost this week, three people killed on Tasmanian roads, three families grieving, three communities impacted,” Inspector Mollineaux said. “And for the third time this week, police are pleading with the public: Please take care on our roads.”
Man killed in single vehicle crash in south
3:15am
A 33-year-old man has died after his car hit a power pole at Magra north of Hobart in the early hours of Saturday morning.
Police said nearby residents heard the crash and helped the man until emergency services arrived but he died at the scene.
The accident happened on Back River Rd, Magra about 3.15am.
Police said the man, the sole occupant, was driving a grey Toyota Hilux, south on Back River Rd, when failed to negotiate a slight right-hand bend in the road.
“As a result, the vehicle left the roadway and collided with a power pole and the driver was trapped within the vehicle,” a police spokesman said..
“Initial investigations believe inattention and possibly fatigue are contributing factors in the crash.”
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Young teens charged over Southern Tas ‘crime spree’
October 13, 11:50am
Two 14-year-olds and a 15-year-old will face 41 charges over an alleged “crime spree” in Southern Tasmania, which police say occurred over several months.
It’s alleged the trio entered several homes in Howrah, Rokeby, Lindisfarne and New Norfolk, before taking car keys and stealing cars.
Authorities allege the teens also targeted unlocked vehicles and were involved in a high speed police chase over the Bowen Bridge, allegedly driving a stolen car at 200km/h.
The string of charges includes aggravated burglary, stealing, dangerous driving, motor vehicle stealing, unlicensed driving offences, graffiti charges along with drug offences.
Two of the teens were remanded in custody to appear in court, while the third was bailed.
Man dead after Launceston crash
October 13, 4:30am
A 26 year old pedestrian has died after being hit by a car, which was involved in a crash with another vehicle in Launceston last night.
Police say the man and his friend, a 48 year old man, were standing at the intersection of Margaret Street and Frederick Street, when the crash unfolded
Both bystanders were hit as a result of the crash, and the 26 year old died at the scene.
The second man was rushed to the Launceston General Hospital with serious injuries.
A report will be prepared for the Coroner.
Police are appealing to the public for information in relation to the crash along with dashcam footage.
Man charged over alleged armed robbery wielding a hammer
October 12, 5pm:
A man accused of threatening someone with a hammer during an attempted armed robbery has been charged by police.
The 42-year-old Ravenswood man was charged over the alleged incident at Kings Meadows on Tuesday October 3.
Police allege that about 4pm the man approached a member of the public demanding money and his phone and threatening them with the hammer before fleeing the scene.
The person was uninjured during the alleged attempted robbery but was shaken by the experience.
The accused will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court on November 22.
Police thanked the public for their help in identifying the man.
Man charged with assaulting crash witness, disqualified driving
October 11, 6.15pm: A 30-year-old Elderslie man has been charged with a disturbance at a crash scene at New Norfolk overnight.
A vehicle crashed into a power pole on Boyer Road about 9.37pm, Tasmania Police allege.
They further allege that a witness who stopped at the scene was assaulted and received non-life-threatening injuries.
The alleged offender was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the incident, police said.
On Wednesday, the defendant was charged with common assault, driving while disqualified, and breaching of bail.
He was detained to appear in the Hobart Magistrates Court at a later date.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information should contact Glenorchy CIB on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously via crimestopperstas.com.au
Witness at crash scene allegedly assaulted
October 11, 11.15am: A man who allegedly assaulted a witness at the scene of a crash is in custody.
Shortly after 9.30pm on Tuesday night, a car crashed into a power pole on Boyer Rd at New Norfolk.
A witness who stopped at the scene was assaulted, police will allege.
The victim was not physically injured.
The alleged offender was taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries sustained during the incident.
Anyone who witnessed the incident or has information should contact Glenorchy CIB on 131 444.
Search suspended for missing Tasmanian fisherman
October 10, 4.10pm:
The extensive search for missing Tasmanian fisherman Kerry Frankcombe has been suspended, exactly one month after he never returned home from a Sunday fishing trip.
The 75-year-old Deloraine man was reported missing after he never returned home from a fishing trip in the Port Sorrell River on September 10.
In the early hours of Monday, September 11, his 6.5m half-cab vessel was found unmanned and adrift 12km off the coast of Beechford.
Inspector Shane LeFevre said after an independent review, police had decided to suspend the search.
“Considerable search efforts have been undertaken between Port Sorell and Beechford, utilising significant resources, but unfortunately Mr Frankcombe has not been located,” Inspector LeFevre said.
“We believe Mr Frankcombe ended up in the water without a life jacket, and we’ve received expert medical advice that sadly he could not have survived the conditions for this length of time.”
He said that as with any missing persons case, new information received in relation to Mr Frankcombe’s disappearance would be investigated – in the hope of giving his family closure.
“I extend our deepest thoughts to Mr Frankcombe’s family and loved ones at this difficult time,” he said.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Woman dies in highway crash
October 10, 8am (UPDATED): Police say speed was a likely factor in a fatal head-on crash which left one woman dead and a mother and daughter rushed to hospital.
The horror two-vehicle crash on Hobart’s Brooker Hwy happened at 8.55pm on Monday night, when a woman in a green Mazda hatchback was driving south in a northbound lane near the Clover Leaf intersection when she collided head-on with a silver Volkswagen hatchback.
Despite efforts from paramedics, the woman died at the scene. A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The female driver of the Volkswagen and a passenger – her daughter – both sustained injuries including broken bones and were taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious but stable condition, where they remained on Tuesday.
The Brooker Hwy was closed for several hours while the crash scene was cleared.
Acting Inspector at Southern Road Policing Services Adrian Leary said the amount of debris strewn over the roadway was a clear indicator speed was a factor in the crash.
He said the crash site was “extensive” and it took several hours before the highway between Federal St to the Lower Domain Hwy was reopened, with forensic crash investigators on scene.
“Police are still uncertain as to how or why the woman driving the Mazda crossed a dual lane highway to the wrong side, but the matter is still under investigation,” Insp Leary said.
He said an “extensive” rollout of police, critical care paramedics and firefighters were on scene.
“Unfortunately this is another tragic death on Tasmanian roads. We feel terribly sorry for the families involved,” Insp Leary said.
Insp Leary said he urged drivers to obey road rules and to drive to the conditions.
He said the mother and daughter in the silver Volkswagen were “extremely lucky” to have survived given the severity of the impact between the two vehicles.
He praised the police and emergency personnel who attended, saying “it’s never pleasant to attend these types of crashes”.
A number of drivers who witnessed the crash spoke with police. However, police are still urging the public to provide dashcam footage or call if they witnessed the crash.
The state’s road toll sits at 25 compared to 42 at the same time last year. The number of serious crashes sits at 233 compared to 240 at the same time last year.
City fire: CBD building evacuated
October 9, 9.45am: A commercial multistorey building in Hobart’s CBD has been evacuated after smoke was spotted on an upper level of the structure.
Tasmania Fire Service were called to the commercial building at 85 Macquarie St at about 9.15am.
@TasFireService on scene of a fire at a commercial building in the #Hobart CBD. Latest >https://t.co/TisxWh5FPOpic.twitter.com/iisr5VPWwk
— Mercury (@themercurycomau) October 8, 2023
A TFS spokeswoman said smoke had been spotted on level 8 of the building before the alarm was raised.
The building has been evacuated and there are no reports of injuries.
Multiple people from level 8 were reportedly evacuated and at one point two lanes of traffic were momentarily blocked.
Fire crews left the scene just before 10am.
‘Enough is enough’: Mayor speaks out on ‘unacceptable’ city crime
October 8: A Tasmanian mayor has hit back at “totally unacceptable” violence in the city, following an alleged assault which left a teenage boy hospitalised with a stab wound.
Clarence City Council Mayor Brendan Blomeley’s comments come after an alleged incident at the Rosny bus mall on Saturday afternoon.
“Our community has had enough,” Mr Blomeley said.
“Because of a select few we are continuously having to up the ante in that we have to put in place procedures and systems at ratepayers’ and taxpayers’ expense to heighten security and increase safety in our city.”
He said while measures were currently in place to curb and prevent violent incidents, these types of outbreaks were happening “all too frequently”.
“This is clearly a serious situation that should never occur; we will continue to work closely with Tasmania Police to ensure the safety of all those in public places … in and around the Eastlands Shopping Centre,” he said.
Tasmania Police as well as increased security presence in and around the complex have been put in place previously to mitigate crime, but Mr Blomeley said it was “extraordinarily frustrating and concerning” when any alleged incidents of a violent nature occurred.
Tasmania Police have charged a 37-year-old woman with wounding after an alleged incident, which they say happened between a “number” of people that were known to each other.
A 14-year-old boy was allegedly stabbed in his upper body and has since undergone surgery at the Royal Hobart Hospital.
The woman was bailed to appear in Hobart Magistrates Court at an unspecified date.
Witnesses are asked to contact Bellerive CIB on 6173 2318 or anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
’Flames coming out’: Puppies evacuated as home goes ‘up like a match’
Latest: After an earlier fire at a home on Sorell Street, Bridgewater, Tasmania Police have now opened the road to all traffic.
Emergency services were called to the property earlier on Sunday morning to reports of a fire.
Tasmania Police in a statement said there were no suspicious circumstances relating to the fire.
Updated, 1.10pm:
Neighbour Lyn Foster said she was sitting down to lunch with her husband when someone started “bashing” down the door, telling her to move her vehicles from her driveway due to concerns gas bottles were about to explode.
“Flames were coming out of the windows everywhere,” she said.
“The house is well over 100 years old. It went up like a match.”
Ms Foster said the house was occupied by a single woman, understood to breed French bulldogs.
She said she had been told by firefighters that all animals, and the occupant, were evacuated safely.
Ms Foster said Sorell St is “usually pretty quiet”.
Glenorchy Fire Brigade senior station officer Colin Attrill told the Mercury that the occupant reported the fire had started in the kitchen.
He said the cause of the fire was undetermined, but did not appear to be suspicious at this stage.
Mr Attrill said crews from Glenorchy and Bridgewater were on the scene “within minutes” from receiving a call-out, but that the fire was “extensively going” upon arrival.
He said four firefighters armed with breathing apparatuses entered the residence to conduct a “rapid internal attack” in a bid to extinguish the fire.
The fire was extinguished by 1.15pm, but Mr Attrill said it was “proving troublesome to extinguish all the hot spots,” meaning a long afternoon shift for the crews.
October 8, 12.25pm: A structure fire on a greater Hobart street has forced the evacuation of the building – with emergency services closing the road off while they work to control the blaze.
TFS and emergency services are currently at the scene of the structure fire at Sorell St, Bridgewater.
“Due to the fire, the corner of Cobbs Hill Rd and Sorell St will be closed while the fire is extinguished,” Tasmania Police said.
“Motorists are requested to avoid this area in the interim.”
All persons have been evacuated, and the cause is yet to be identified.”
More to come.
Trio of teens wounded in alleged early morning altercation
October 8, 10.45am: Police have charged a 26-year-old Mowbray man after they were called to a reported wounding in Cimitiere St, Launceston in the early hours of Sunday morning.
Emergency services were called to a disturbance between a group of people near City Park about 2.20am, Tasmania Police said in a statement.
Two 16-year-olds and one 15-year-old were reportedly wounded by the older man.
The parties involved were treated at the Launceston General Hospital for non-life-threatening injuries.
At this stage, it is believed to be an isolated incident and there is no threat to the wider community.
The incident occurred as a result of a dispute between the parties involved.
The 26-year-old Mowbray man was charged by detectives on Sunday and will appear in an out-of-hours session of the Launceston Magistrates Court later today.
Toilet block fire
October 8, 10am:
The TFS attended a structure fire at Kensington Park, New Norfolk. TFS crews arrived to find smoke issuing from a toilet block at this premises. The fire has been burning overnight in an old toilet block and a shed, some property inside the shed has been destroyed. A Fire Investigation is being arranged for today.
Originally published as Tasmania breaking news: Police reveal more about Magra crash
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