A man has been charged after a five-vehicle crash on the Barton Highway near Spring Range Road last week.
The truck driver, a 59-year-old man, was arrested and taken to Yass Police Station where he was charged with dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm – drive manner dangerous, and negligent driving (occasions grievous bodily harm).
He was granted conditional bail to appear before Yass Local Court on Friday, June 17.
Emergency services were called to the Barton Highway, Wallaroo, shortly after 10am on Wednesday, April 13, following reports of a crash involving four cars and a truck.
Both lanes were closed to traffic for several hours, with emergency services, the Crash Investigation Unit, and Transport NSW on the scene.
Four ambulance vehicles and a rescue helicopter attended the crash where two SUVs, a ute, and a sports coupe were stopped southbound on the Barton Highway at roadworks when the crash occurred with the truck.
“Police have been told a truck was travelling south on the Barton Highway when it struck the rear of a stationary vehicle waiting at roadworks,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
The impact pushed the vehicle into three more vehicles at a roadworks site for the Barton Highway duplication intended to build two new lanes northbound from south of the NSW-ACT border to the intersection of Rolfe Road.
The female driver of an SUV needed to be extracted from the vehicle by NSW Fire and Rescue, suffering spinal and serious leg injuries. She was taken by road to Canberra Hospital in a stable condition. The three children in the SUV were not injured and the other drivers also escaped serious injury.
ACT Ambulance Acting Operations Manager Scott Kelly said there were seven patients in total with four taken to Calvary Hospital and three to Canberra Hospital.
Scott said an off-duty ACT paramedic, who was five cars behind the accident, was able to assist patients until emergency services arrived on the scene.
Work to duplicate the Barton Highway to improve safety and travel times for local commuters, tourists and freight operators started in 2020.
$200 million has currently been allocated to the existing two-lane section on the Barton Highway, bypassing Murrumbateman, which pending future funding commitments, will deliver a fully duplicated highway connection from Canberra to the south of Yass.
The Australian and NSW governments have together committed the $200 million towards the upgrade of the Barton Highway, with $150 million provided by the Australian Government and $50 million by the NSW Government.
This will hopefully lead to safer journeys for the nearly 13,000 motorists and heavy vehicle operators who travel along this section of road each day.
The work is being delivered by the Barton Highway Upgrade Alliance – a partnership of Transport for NSW, Seymour Whyte and SMEC.
In the coming months bulk earthworks for the new two-lane northbound carriageway, stormwater drainage pipe installations and the upgrade of Church Lane, Rolfe Road and Boundary Lane will all continue. While road surface construction for the new northbound carriageway will officially begin.
The initial stage of duplication is expected to be completed in 2023, weather permitting.
Officers attached to The Hume Police District have commenced inquiries into the circumstances surrounding the crash and are appealing for witnesses or drivers with dashcam vision to contact Yass Police on 6226 9399 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
By Brianna O’Rourke
