Man who allegedly ran from fatal Kirkland Rd crash arrested

Police have arrested a man who allegedly fled from a fatal crash, the second in days, that devastated the Top End.

Emergency services responding to a crash on Kirkland Road on May 16, 2025. Picture: Harry Brill

A man who allegedly fled the scene of a fatal crash in Durack on Friday has been arrested.

NT Police said they had arrested a 38-year-old male in Farrar on Saturday without incident.

He remains in custody as investigations into the cause of the crash are ongoing, and no charges have been laid.

The man, who ran from the scene of the crash on Kirkland Road about 5pm on Friday May 16, has been identified by The Australian as Christian Mpongo.

Christian Mpongo was allegedly behind the wheel of a car that collided head-on with another on Kirkland Road, Palmerston on May 16, 2025.

Mr Mpongo was allegedly behind the wheel and sole occupant of a car that collided head-on with another car, which was carrying three passengers.

A man, aged 36, was killed in the collision, and the other two passengers, aged 80 and 35, were injured.

Friday’s crash came just two days after a 45-year-old woman died in a near identical crash on the same road on May 14.

In that crash, which involved a Nissan X-TRAIL and Toyota Corolla, three other people were seriously injured.

Originally published as Man who allegedly ran from fatal Kirkland Rd crash arrested