Pederstian seriously injured in Burnie CBD
An elderly woman is in a critical condition after being struck by a garbage truck in Burnie’s CBD. LATEST POLICE NEWS >>
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Pedestrian struck in Burnie
12.30pm, Tuesday August 24
A PEDESTRIAN has been critically injured in Burnie’s Cattley St after being hit by a truck - the second serious incident between a truck and someone crossing the road in 18 months.
The local woman, aged 80, was struck by a garbage truck in Burnie’s CBD just after 11am.
Numerous bystanders rushed to the woman’s aid after she was hit while crossing at the pedestrian crossing on the corner of Mount and Cattley streets in the North West city - a busy bus stop area.
It is the second serious pedestrian incident in the city in the last 18 months.
A visiting cruise ship passenger was hit and killed by a truck on the corner of Cattley and Wilson St in January last year.
The woman died at the scene despite efforts of passers-by including two off-duty police officers.
Inspector Adrian Shadbolt said the woman involved in Tuesday’s incident was in the North West Regional Hospital and her condition had been described as critical at 2.30pm.
“This is a very busy area in the centre of the city and many bystanders saw what happened and came to her immediate aid,’ Inspector Shadbolt said.
He said the Tasmania Police crash investigation team was involved along with the heavy vehicle response team.
The garbage truck has been seized as part of the investigation and the driver has undergone mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
He pleaded with pedestrians to be aware of their surroundings even if they were crossing on a green light at a designation crossing.
Police want anyone with dashcam footage of the crash to call Burnie Police on 131 444 or contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000.
Elderly man assaulted during armed robbery at home in North Tasmania
UPDATE - 6pm, Monday August 23
A Launceston man charged in relation to an alleged armed robbery has been refused bail.
Bradley Thomas Lee appeared in the Launceston Magistrates Court on Monday.
Police alleged Lee and a second man forced their way into the Karoola home on August 15 at about 5.20am in the morning.
They are alleged to have assaulted the 64-year-old man and 28-year-old woman living at the home and to have stolen a quantity of cash.
The elderly man allegedly suffered a significant head injury.
The 30-year-old entered not guilty pleas to the charges of aggravated armed robbery, aggravated burglary and assault through his defence counsel Olivia Jenkins.
Magistrate Sharon Cure adjourned the matters until September 6 and it will later go before the Supreme Court.
Police are attempting to track down his alleged co-accused.
Anyone with information about the incident is being urged to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
9:30am, Monday August 23
An elderly man has sustained a significant head injury following an armed robbery at a house in North Tasmania early Sunday morning.
It’s alleged two men forced entry into a Karoola home around 5:20am and assaulted a 64-year-old man and a 28-year-old woman before stealing a small amount of cash.
Police have since charged a 30-year-old Launceston man and continue to search for the remaining offender.
Anyone with information about the incident is being urged to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
Shark sighting in state’s North-West
A shark, believed to be a great white, has been sighted by a member of the public in the state’s North-West.
The person spotted the shark about 10am on the second reef off Penguin while they were surfing.
They estimated the shark was 3-4 metres long.
Two dead in serious crash in state’s North
4pm, Saturday August 21
A learner driver involved in a fatal car crash in the state’s North will be discharged from hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
About 3.20pm on Friday, the 20-year-old was driving north in a silver Ford Falcon sedan on the West Tamar Highway at Rosevears.
Police said the vehicle came into contact with a guard rail and that the car and a white Toyota HiAce van travelling in the opposite direction collided shortly after, causing major damage to both vehicles.
Tragically, a 75-year-old woman in the Falcon’s front passenger seat and a 45-year-old man in the back seat died in the crash.
It brings the state’s road death toll to 25 so far this year – six more than at the same time last year.
On Friday evening, Tasmania Police said both the L-plater and the driver of the van – who was the sole occupant of that vehicle – were taken to the Launceston General Hospital in a serious condition.
However, on Saturday afternoon Inspector Scott Flude said their injuries were non-life-threatening, while a Health Department spokeswoman said the pair would be discharged today.
All four people involved in the crash were northern Tasmanian locals, police said.
An investigation into the circumstances around the crash is underway, with Inspector Flude noting that it was raining at the time.
There were no witnesses to the crash.
“It could have been contributed by the weather but it could be something completely different, too,” Inspector Flude said. “So we really don’t know.
“(Crash investigators) will go and do all their measurements … and check all the scene … later this week.”
In a statement on Saturday, Tasmania Police said its thoughts were with the families and loved ones of the deceased.
7.30pm, Friday August 20
Two people have died in a crash on the West Tamar Highway, adding to the state’s horror year on the roads.
A 45-year-old woman and a 75-year-old man, believed to be Tasmanian, were killed in the collision between a north-bound silver Ford Falcon and a van travelling south, which occurred about 3.25pm about a kilometre north of Brady’s Lookout, south of Exeter.
The two deceased were passengers in the Falcon. The drivers of both vehicles remain in a serious condition in the Launceston General Hospital.
Tasmania Police Inspector Scott Flude said an investigation into the circumstances of the crash had begun and police were “still looking at all … aspects of the crash”.
“It would appear it was raining heavily at the time,” he said. “But at the moment … (police) will conduct an investigation into how it has occurred.”
“I’m aware that in the last two or three hours since we have had some poor conditions there have been five crashes reported to us here in the North. Which is, again, disappointing.
“We’ve had way too many fatalities lately here in the North. Again, I’d ask people to drive to the conditions and just pay attention, please, because most of the crashes we’re going to are very unfortunate and have a huge impact on the community and the emergency services people who attend.”
3:35pm, Friday 20 August
Emergency services are at the scene of a crash on the West Tamar Highway at Exeter where two people have been seriously injured.
The highway is currently blocked north of Brady’s Lookout south of Lanena Crescent.
Tasmania Police is urging drivers to avoid the area and seek an alternative route.
House fire at Arthurs Lake
Friday, 20 August
Firefighters will be breaking some bad news to one homeowner, whose house burned down at Arthurs Lake on Poatina Road.
The fire erupted late last night, with crews of firefighters battling the blaze at around 2.50am on Friday.
A Tasmanian Fire Service spokesman said nobody was injured during the blaze, since the house appeared to have been empty at the time.
“There was nobody at home at that moment, and we are still attempting to contact the owners,’ the spokesman said.
Teens charged after stealing from North West charity store
Thursday 19 August
Tasmania Police have charged two teenagers after they allegedly stole from a charity store in Ulverstone on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s alleged the pair entered the store around 3:20pm and demanded money from staff before pushing the employees aside and stealing a small quantity of cash from the register.
The 19-year-old and 17-year-old were arrested and charged a short time later.
Police are urging anyone who saw the duo dressed in black, wearing gloves and carrying backpacks in the Ulverstone area around that time to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
Man charged over taxi driver robbery in Launceston
Thursday 19 August
A 19-year-old man from Mayfield has been charged over the robbery of a taxi driver in Launceston earlier this month.
The teenager is accused of assaulting and robbing the driver on Saturday August 7 around 9:30pm during a trip from Mowbray to Invermay.
He has been remanded in custody and is expected to reappear in court on September 1.
Police call for witnesses to Midway Point crash
Tuesday 17 August
Tasmania Police are appealing for witnesses to a crash at Midway Point on Tuesday morning.
Emergency services arrived at the scene around 11:45am to find a man in his 40s who had crashed his car into a parked truck at the intersection of Penna and Reynolds Roads.
Authorities believe the driver lost control of his vehicle after suffering a medical condition.
He was transported to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
No other injuries were reported.
Anyone who witnessed the incident is being urged to contact Sorell Police Station on 6173 2985.
Two men charged over firearms incident in Burnie
Monday 16 August
Two men have been charged after allegedly threatening two people with a firearm in Burnie, early Saturday morning.
It’s alleged the pair approached a parked car in their own vehicle on North Terrace around 2:20am and pointed a sawn-off shotgun at two occupants inside.
Later that morning police searched a property in the Burnie CBD and a firearm was recovered.
A 57-year-old Queenstown man and a 21-year-old Reedy Marsh man were arrested and charged with aggravated assault. They were due to appear in the Burnie Magistrates Court this morning.
It’s believed the victims were not known to the accused and the men allegedly mistook those inside the vehicle with a known associate.
Bike rider dies after hitting parked car
Saturday, 14 August
A MOTORCYCLIST has died in the state’s north after crashing into a parked car.
The 45-year-old man from Rocherlea, who was the sole rider, crashed into the unoccupied vehicle about 7.15pm on Saturday in Lemonwood St, Rocherlea.
He died at the scene as a result of his injuries.
Police are investigating the fatality and will prepare a report for the coroner.
Anyone who may have witnessed the crash or seen the motorcycle prior to the crash is asked to contact Launceston Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperstas.com.au
Four hurt after spikes used to halt car
FOUR people were taken to hospital after an allegedly stolen car crashed into a building while evading police in Hobart’s northern suburbs.
Police said they were investigating after they intercepted the vehicle about noon on Saturday at Bridgewater.
Road spikes were used on Cove Hill Rd to bring the car to a halt, they said.
The occupants – three youths and an adult – sustained non-life-threatening injuries and were all taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital by ambulance. No one else was involved and the building was not damaged.
Police said the circumstances surrounding the crash would be reviewed.
Anyone with information should phone Bridgewater police on 131 444 or report anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au
Car ploughs into gum tree on Hobart street
Two injured women are being treated by paramedics after their car ploughed straight into a gum tree on Hestercombe Road in Granton.
Shocked neighbours heard the bang and came running, finding one woman trapped inside the wreckage while the other lay half-conscious on the nature strip.
One of the residents was Eleni Cook, who was inside her home at the time of the car crash.
“We just heard the bang and heard straight out. There didn’t seem to be any screeching of tyres or anything. It was just a bang,” Mrs Cook said.
“One was trapped in the car and she was cut out. The other got herself out, but she was in and out of consciousness, it looked like, on the ground.”
Another resident was Hedley Cook, who was out the back of his house when he heard the almighty crash.
“I was just down the back when I heard the big bang. I thought, that’s not good,” Mr Cook said.
“I come up here and they were up against the tree. It’s a big solid tree.”
Two people in a taxi, who appeared to be relatives, arrived on the scene a short while later.
A police spokeswoman said the two patients were receiving emergency medical treatment.
“Two people are receiving medical attention,” the police spokeswoman said.
“Drivers are asked to avoid the area.”
Originally published as Pederstian seriously injured in Burnie CBD
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