Breaking news: Man alleged to have tried to set fire to New Norfolk police station
A New Norfolk man is facing charges, including trying to set fire to the local cop shop. The latest >>
Police & Courts
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Man alleged to have tried to set fire to police station
A man who allegedly tried to set fire to the New Norfolk Police Station has been charged with attempted arson.
Police say the 36-year-old, from New Norfolk, tried to start a fire at the station in Bathurst St about 7am on Friday.
Nobody was injured and minor damage was caused to a front window of the station.
The man has been charged with attempted arson and is expected to appear at an out of hours sitting of the Hobart Magistrates Court on Saturday.
He has also been charged with driving while disqualified, cultivating a controlled plant, possessing a controlled plant or its product and two counts of failing to appear in court.
Bridgewater CIB want to hear from anyone with information about the incident.
Detectives are also continuing to investigate a spate of recent fires in Blair and Kensington Streets in New Norfolk, and are encouraging anyone with information to come forward.
Information can be provided by calling police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Woman dies after car and truck crash in south
Updated: A 54 year old woman died near Richmond on Friday when her car veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided head on with a truck, police say.
Police say the Bridgenorth resident was travelling north on Richmond Road near the Boyes Street intersection at Dulcot shortly before 3.30pm when the crash occurred.
“At this stage it appears that the driver of the car … has veered onto the incorrect side of the road and collided with the truck,” Tasmania Police acting inspector Paul Johns said.
The woman tragically died at the scene.
He said police were unsure how the woman’s vehicle came to be on the wrong side of the road.
He said investigations were in the early stages and police hadn’t ruled anything in or out.
“There’s no indication at this stage that speed was a contributing factor,” he said.
Mr Johns said the truck driver was “shaken” and taken to hospital for mandatory testing but was not injured.
The truck was carrying a load of a shipping container on a semi trailer.
He said there were a number of witnesses at the scene that assisted police but urged any other witnesses or people with dashcam footage to notify police.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Mr Johns said this was the 19th fatality on Tasmania’s roads this year, which is in line with the same time last year.
He was urging road users to “drive so others survive”.
“Every crash that we have where someone dies it is much more than just the people on the scene that are affected,” he said.
Earlier: A 54-year-old woman has died after an accident involving a car and truck near Richmond in southern Tasmania.
Police said the woman was the driver of the car and died at the scene.
The truck driver was not physically injured.
The accident happened at the intersection of Richmond Road and Boyes Street at Dulcot just before 3.30pm and police were last night still at the scene conducting investigations.
Police appealed to anyone who may have who witnessed the accident to contact them on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
Man charged with possession of child exploitation material after a Ulverstone raid
August 15: A 48-year-old man has been arrested and charged with possession of child exploitation material after a raid on an Ulverstone property this week.
Police say the targeted search uncovered devices containing child exploitation material, which were seized.
The man was taken into custody at the scene and will face court in November.
Suspected child abuse can be reported to Tasmania Police on 131 444, or triple-0 if a child is in immediate danger.
Teenagers charged after armed robbery
Two teenagers who allegedly armed themselves with a machete and a hammer before demanding cash from a business in Kings Meadows on Tuesday night, have been captured and charged with aggravated armed robbery.
Tasmania Police say they were called to the business on Hobart Rd on Tuesday evening after reports two armed males had entered the store and demanded cash.
They say the offenders fled with a quantity of cash but were quickly identified by uniform police officers nearby and arrested.
Police say both weapons were found and seized at the scene.
Nobody was physically injured during the incident.
An 18-year-old Kings Meadows man and 17-year-old youth from Riverside have been charged with aggravated armed robbery and bailed with strict conditions to appear in court at later dates.
Woman dies after Burnie crash
A woman in her 90s has died after a crash earlier this month in Burnie.
Police and ambulance crews were called to the two-vehicle crash about 1pm on Saturday August 3 at the intersection of the Bass Highway and West Park Grove in Burnie.
The drivers – and sole occupants – of each vehicle were taken to the North West Regional Hospital. Tasmania Police say one of those drivers – a 90 year old woman – died on Tuesday.
The other driver received non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigations into the crash continue and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
Fire rips through Hungry Jack’s at Glenorchy
August 14, 10.50am: Tasmanian Fire Service regional fire investigator Tim McKay has praised the quick thinking of the Hungry Jack’s workers at the Glenorchy restaurant who evacuated all staff and patrons when a fire broke out on Tuesday evening.
All left the building quickly and no injuries were reported.
Mr McKay said while the investigation was still in the early stages they are expecting a damaged bill of more than $5m.
He said the fire likely started in the kitchen of the fast food restaurant and there were no suspicious circumstances.
The building was extensively damaged in the fire and the scene examination would take several days, Mr McKay said.
At the height of the fire on Tuesday night there were seven fire trucks and 20 firefighters on scene.
Earlier: Tasmania Fire Service investigators will today sift through evidence at Glenorchy’s Hungry Jack’s restaurant after a fire ripped through the takeaway store on Tuesday evening.
Fire crews attended the scene and Main Rd Glenorchy was closed in both directions between Grove Rd and Chapel St as the fire took hold about 8.30pm.
Tasmania Police say staff were alerted when the fire alarm activated shortly before 8.30pm and all staff and patrons were safely evacuated. No injuries have been reported.
Crews from Glenorchy, Bridgewater and Hobart were called to the scene and on found the building to be fully involved in fire.
The fire was extinguished shortly before 11pm, however the building was completely destroyed.
Investigations into the blaze are continuing but it is believed to have started in the kitchen.
TasNetworks cut power to about 850 customers in the Glenorchy, Rosetta and Montrose areas as flames reached high-voltage lines during the height of the fire.
Power has since been restored.
Tasmania Police have since reopened Main Rd but Kensington St between Main Rd and Chapel St remains closed until further notice.
“Motorists are advised to avoid that area if possible and identify an alternate route of travel to avoid delays,” police said in a statement.
“An examination of the scene will occur later today by a TFS Fire Scene Examiner to determine the cause.”
Charges laid following overnight break-ins in Launceston
August 12: Two men have been charged following overnight break-ins at supermarkets in West Launceston and Norwood early on Sunday.
Police allege that a 39-year-old Hadspen man and a 47-year-old Ravenswood man forced entry to the businesses in the early hours of Sunday morning to steal cigarettes.
The men were unsuccessful because new anti theft technology.
The pair were seen leaving the scene in small grey Mazda 3 sedan, allegedly evading police.
The men were arrested soon after at an address in Ravenswood and taken into custody.
The man from Hadspen was charged and detained, where he was due to appear in an after-hours court on Sunday night.
The man from Ravenswood, was charged and bailed to appear in court at a later date.
Police have asked anyone who witnessed the grey Mazda 3 sedan in the Brougham St, West Launceston or Norwood Ave, Norwood areas late on Saturday or early Sunday to contact Launceston Police on 131 444 or by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au. They should quote reference number OR 747794.
Woman, 40, blows six times over the limit
August 11: A 40-year-old woman has blown a reading six times over the alcohol legal limit after being pulled up for speeding in Longford this morning.
Tasmania Police say the woman was initially detected travelling at 86km/h in a 60km/h zone on Marlborough St, Longford about 9.45am this morning before returning a breath analysis reading of 0.301.
She was charged with driving a motor vehicle while exceeding the prescribed alcohol limit and was disqualified for a period of 12 months. She will also be charged for the speeding offence.
Police say drink driving and speeding are two of the ‘fatal five’ factors contributing to the road toll, and places drivers, passengers and all other road users at risk of serious injury due to the increased likelihood of causing a crash.
“Remember, police can be anywhere, anytime,” they said in a statement.
They urged anyone with information about drink driving or other offences to call Tasmania Police on 131 444, or Crime Stoppers Tasmania on 1800 333 000, or Triple-Zero (000) in an emergency.
Crash at Lalla claims life of a 20-year-old man
August 9: A 20-year-old man has died after a crash at Lalla, in the state’s north, overnight.
It’s believed the man was driving west on Lalla Road, when his vehicle went off the road, before he crashed into a tree.
Police say the incident occurred about 9:40pm last night.
Initial investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing.
Police will look at whether weather, road conditions, speed, drugs or alcohol were contributing factors.
“Police are stressing to everyone at this time of the year, it’s still winter, the roads are still treacherous, it’s dark it’s rainy so take care on the roads and drive to the conditions,” Tasmania Police Insp. Nick Clark said
“No matter if you’re on a country road or the highway, slow down, drive to the conditions.”
Mr Clark said the man lived in the region.
“He lived in that area and his family were from that area,” he said.
“Small communities like this are hit hard.”
Police are urging anyone who might have seen a silver Nissan Navara in the Lilydale area to contact police.
The crash brings the state’s road fatalities for 2024 to 17.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
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