Thursday 12 October 2017

Driver Charged Over Singleton Road Carnage

BY IAN CROUCH

Police have charged the driver at the centre of yesterday's road carnage at Singleton as a critical incident investigation continues.

The 29-year-old man has been charged with stealing a motor vehicle, two counts of Skye's Law (police pursuit - not stop), using an offensive weapon to prevent lawful detention, assaulting an officer in the execution of duty, resisting an officer and malicious damage.

He's been refused bail to face Singleton Local Court today.

It's alleged the man stole the semi-trailer from a service station at Murrurundi before ploughing into 7 cars, a cafe and the historic Royal Hotel on George Street before the truck errupted in flames.

8 people were taken to hospital.

Police say the condition of the most seriously injured person, a 67-year-old man, is not as serious as first thought.

Acting Commander Robert Post says police were forced to use road spikes.

"All I can say is it was quite some distance the vehicle did travel from the site where the road spikes were deployed," he said.

Fireball: The Truck Erupts In Flames After Taking Out 7 Cars And Crashing Into Buildings
A restricted speed limit of 40 kilometres per hour is in place along George Street as investigations and repair works continue.