Menangle truck crash: Child dead and four injured off Hume Highway
A truck driver who allegedly crashed into a Sydney rest stop area, killing an eight-year-old girl and injuring five others is in custody after being hit with nine charges over the horrific fatal accident.
Macarthur
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A truck driver who allegedly ploughed into a rest stop car park, killing a little girl and injuring several others, will remain behind bars on remand.
Brendon Paul Lidgard, 44, did not appear on the audiovisual link at Parramatta Bail Court and did not apply for bail after he was hit with a raft of charges over the horrific fatal crash near Menangle on Friday evening.
Magistrate Karen Robinson endorsed a warrant so the Moss Vale man’s parents could supply him with insulin while in custody.
Emergency services were called to the Frank Partridge Rest Area on the Hume Highway about 3pm on Friday after a Boral truck drove into the car park and struck another truck and three SUVs, injuring five people.
An eight-year-old girl suffered critical injuries and died at the scene.
Paramedics took five patients to Liverpool Hospital after the incident.
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Images from the scene showed scattered debris and a fallen tree around the crash site and multiple damaged cars.
Officers from Camden Police Area Command attended and established a crime scene, which will be examined by specialist police from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit.
Acting Superintendent Darren Sly said the accident was “tragic”.
“What’s been happening is COVID and people trying to get out for the first time and school holidays,” he said. “It’s just tragic, absolute tragic loss.”
Inspector David Kyanston from NSW Ambulance Service said the scene that was waiting for emergency services was “confronting”.
A Boral spokeswoman confirmed that one of its cement tanker trucks was involved in the incident and said the company was co-operating with police.
“Our deepest sympathy and thoughts are with those who have been affected by this absolutely tragic accident,” she said.
The company is co-operating with police and authorities in their investigations.
The driver was charged with nine offences including dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm.
He was also charged with not recording prescribed information in his work diary, nor using time zone allocations in his work diary.
The matter will return for a possible election to the District Court and bail application at Campbelltown Local Court on July 15.