Man, 23, woman, 50, facing multiple charges over alleged hit and run on Stuart Hwy

A man, 23, and a woman, 50, are facing multiple charges over an alleged hit and run on the Stuart Hwy and will appear in court today. PICTURES, VIDEO AT THE CRIME SCENE.

A MAN and a woman are facing multiple charges, including tampering with a body, after a person was killed in an alleged hit and run on the Stuart Hwy.

Police have charged a 23-year-old man and 50-year-old woman following an investigation after the lower leg of a woman was found on the major highway near Coolalinga on Tuesday morning.

Police charged the man with hit and run, two counts of misconduct to a corpse, attempt to pervert the course of justice and destroy evidence.

Police have also charged the woman with attempt to pervert the course of justice, destroy evidence and misconduct with a corpse.

NT Police Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said investigations are still ongoing.

“At this stage we believe the body of the victim was removed from the scene by the driver and his accomplice after the collision,” he said.

“To fatally strike someone with your vehicle and then go to great lengths to cover it up is reprehensible behaviour.

“Detectives thank the public for their assistance in this case.

“The information and dash-cam footage provided by motorists played a vital role in piecing together what happened on Monday night.”

The pair is due to appear at the Darwin Local Court on Friday morning.

Body of alleged hit-and-run victim found

A MAN is alleged to have hit an Aboriginal woman with a vehicle while another person attempted to hide the body, days after part of a leg was found along the Stuart Hwy.

On Tuesday at 10.30am police were notified of a lower leg along the Stuart Hwy near Coolalinga.

Police later confirmed it was the lower leg of a “dark-skinned human being”.

Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said in the course of inquiries, police had identified a suspect vehicle.

“On yesterday (Wednesday) early afternoon a Palmerston traffic patrol officer was conducting patrols around the Palmerston area and identified a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle at a residence,” he said.

“Investigators attended the residence and after speaking to the 23-year-old male occupant he was arrested, a car was seized and a search warrant was executed on the property.

“Further inquiries were made and as a result of those inquiries, police later attended an address in Winnellie where they arrested a 50-year-old female in relation to this incident. They also seized another vehicle.

“At 11.45pm last night police attended a location in Jenkins Rd, Virginia where they located a deceased Aboriginal female. We believe this is the victim of the collision.

“It will be alleged that the 23-year-old male was the driver involved in the collision impacting the victim. It will be further alleged that the 50-year-old female has assisted in removing the deceased to another location and attempted to conceal the crime.

“They (victim) were partially concealed and the condition of the body was consistent with being struck by a vehicle.”

Sgt Morrissey said police believed they had identified the victim but further forensic testing would confirm.

He said the possible victim’s family had been contacted.

The pair are in custody and expected to be charged on Thursday, with Sgt Morrissey saying potential charges included driving causing death and attempting to pervert the course of justice.

He could not say this stage if the pair were related.

Sgt Morrissey thanked the public for their assistance.

HIT-AND-RUN SUSPECTED

POLICE say a collision between a vehicle and a person has likely resulted in human remains being found along the Stuart Hwy on Tuesday morning.

Police were notified by motorists of a lower leg on the Stuart Hwy near Coolalinga on Tuesday at 10.30am.

Police later confirmed it was the lower leg of a “dark-skinned human being”.

On Wednesday morning, Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said police had established there was a crash between a vehicle and pedestrian between 8pm and 9pm on Monday.

“As a result of the examinations of the scene, police have established that there has been some sort of vehicle versus pedestrian collision on the inbound lane of the Stuart Highway at that location,” he said.

“Information received since the event from members of the public have suggested that a collision has occurred at that location between the hours of 8pm and 9pm on Monday evening.

“The owner of the leg has not been identified, nor the rest of the person.”

Sgt Morrissey said there were lines of inquiry to try identify the victim but nothing was confirmed.

He said authorities had not identified anyone in hospitals or clinics with injuries that could have been sustained from the accident.

Sgt Morrissey said information suggested the person could have survived.

“The additional information was it was survival but would need medical treatment as soon as possible,” he said.

Anyone travelling in the area on Monday between 8pm and 9pm is being urged to contact police on 131 444.

Police are encouraging anyone with dashcam footage to submit it.

LOWER LEG FOUND ON HIGHWAY

POLICE have confirmed the “lower leg of a dark-skinned human being” was found along on the Stuart Hwy near Coolalinga, with authorities not ruling out the individual is still alive.

“We’ve had a forensic pathologist attend on site who has confirmed the remains to be a lower leg of a dark-skinned human being,” Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said.

“Major crash investigators, crime scene investigators and crime division detectives are still on scene and investigating. We have little more information than that at this time.”

Sgt Morrissey said no other remains had been found, with police unable to confirm if the individual was alive or deceased.

He confirmed police had made inquiries to hospitals and clinics.

“There have been no reports to hospitals or clinics with an injury of this severity,” he said.

“We believe it’s within the last 24 hours, hence we’re asking for the dashcam footage from yesterday (Monday) afternoon.

A passing motorist, who asked not to be named, shared their disbelief at spotting the limb just after 9pm on Monday.

“I saw what looked to me like most of a leg and foot,” they said.

“It was laying crossways on the road and I saw the sole of the foot and toes.

“I thought for sure that I didn’t just see part of a human leg and didn’t actually believe myself until this morning, when I saw they found human remains on the highway.”

Police swarmed the Stuart Hwy from midmorning, blocking the inbound and outbound lanes to all traffic.

Officers in and out of uniform surveyed the area, focusing on the table drain separating the roads.

Yellow markets and coloured spray paint dotted the grass and road as investigators photographed and collected evidence.

Three police officers on yellow motorbikes scoured up and down the highway and in the nearby bushland.

HUMAN REMAINS CLOSE MAJOR HWY

Human remains have been found on the Stuart Hwy near Coolalinga.

Police confirmed to the NT News the remains were found on Tuesday morning.

The Stuart Hwy has been closed between the Howard Spring lights and Virginia Rd.

Several witnesses have posted on social media saying a human leg was spotted on the road.

Police have swarmed the area and have begun to establish a crime scene.

More than 20 police vehicles are dotted along the Stuart Hwy for about 1km.

Police have gathered at one grassed area in the crime scene. Officers on motorbikes are scouring the area slowly, searching for evidence.

Motorists are urged to avoid the area. Southbound traffic will be diverted onto Howard Springs Rd or Lambrick Ave. Northbound traffic will be diverted to Virginia Rd or motorists will be directed to U-turn south on the Stuart Hwy.