Accident Closes New England Highway At Ravensworth

BY IAN CROUCH

Traffic is slowly getting back to normal following a two car smash at Ravensworth.

The accident happened on the New England Highway just before 5.00am on Tuesday.

A 21-year-old man was taken by road ambulance to Singleton Hospital with a minor foot injury.

The highway was blocked in both directions for more than an hour but the accident scene is now cleared, although there's still heavy traffic in the area.

Trucking Association Calls for Better Investigation Processes

BY SARAH JAMES

The Australian Trucking Association is calling for a change in the way truck crashes are investigated.

It comes following a horror crash at COORANBONG on Monday which caused a man's death and saw the M1 motorway closed to traffic.

A huge blaze was sparked as a fuel tanker clipped a parked truck, and the tanker full of ethanol exploded.

The truck driver who collided with the end of the pile-up sadly died at the scene.

Geoff Crouch from the Trucking Association says the federal government needs to give the Australian Transport Safety Bureau the power to investigate truck accidents.

In the past twelve months, NSW truck fatalities have increased by 86%. NSW is the only state to experience this trend, with the rest of Australia having their number of truck-related deaths fall.

At present, there is no clear reason for this increase in fatalities.

Geoff Crouch says the involvement of the Australian Safety Transport Bureau will allow better safety measures and regulations to be put in place.

"We are calling for the appropriate level of funding to be given to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau...to investigate serious road accidents and to come back with recommendations on how to prevent them from happening again," he said.

Australian Trucking Association

Motorcyclist taken to John Hunter in Stable Condition

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Traffic is returning to normal on University Drive at Main Road in Callaghan after an accident this morning.

Emergency services were called to the roundabout on University Drive at 8am following reports a motorcycle had collided with a car.

The motorcycle rider is believed to be a man aged in his 30s and has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital in a stable condition.

He's suffering pain in his shoulder and leg and has a serious ankle injury.

Ambulance Transporting Patient Luckily Drives past another Accident on Maitland Road

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Emergency services are on the scene of a car and truck accident on Maitland Road at Sandgate.

In what could be a lucky turn of events, just before 1:15pm an ambulance transporting another patient drove past the scene.

One 67-year-old male is trapped and being extracted - he's reportedly suffering spinal and stomach pain.

A 63-year-old woman has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital and is being treated for shoulder pain.

There are some traffic delays with one southbound lane closed.

Woman in Serious Condition after Car crash south of Tamworth

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter is taking a woman to the John Hunter Hospital after a serious crash south of Tamworth.

Emergency Services were called to the New England Highway at Timbumburi at 11:15 this morning following reports of a three-car accident.

The 43-year-old woman is suffering serious leg injuries.

Two other patients, a woman in her 30s and a man, were taken to Tamworth Base Hospital by road. The woman is reported to have neck pain.

The highway is still closed in both directions.

Meanwhile,

The Hunter's Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to an accident at Brightwaters near Lake Macquarie.

They are responding to an accident between a car and a motorcycle.

A 17-year-old female has been taken to the John Hunter Hospital with multiple injuries.

Westpac Rescue Helicopter at Brightwaters.

Man who killed woman in a tragic accident faced court for the first time

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The man who stands accused of causing the death of a 65-year-old woman in a crash at Mayfield in July has faced Newcastle Court for the first time.

Andrew Wayne is accused of allegedly running a red light on Industrial Drive in his Ford Territory and as a result slamming into a Holden Astra turning right onto Tourle Street killing Gweneth Downey.

He didn't enter any pleas and remains on bail with the condition of not getting behind the wheel of a car.

The matter returns to court next Wednesday.

Image abc.net.au

UPDATED: Another fatality on the Hunter's roads

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE:

Police now believe the man who tragically lost his life near Aberdeen this morning may have been hitch-hiking at the time.

Emergency services were called to the New England Highway 5km south of Aberdeen at about 4:40am where they found a man had sustained multiple injuries after being hit by a car.

Police say he looked to have been hitch-hiking between Aberdeen and Muswellbrook.

The 18-year-old female driver of the car which allegedly hit him was treated for shock, and underwent mandatory testing at Muswellbrook Hospital.

Police are urging anyone who may have seen the man before 4:30am today to contact Muswellbrook Police or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

EARLIER:

There's been another tragic road fatality in the Hunter this morning, the third in just three days.

A male pedestrian has been hit by a car on the New England Highway about 5 kilometres south of Aberdeen.

Emergency services were called to the scene at about 4:40am - one southbound lane of the highway is closed and traffic is expected to be disrupted while the scene is examined this morning.

The female driver of the vehicle remained at the scene to provide assistance.

She was taken to Muswellbrook Hospital for mandatory testing.

It comes after a 17-year-old motorbike rider died in a crash at West Wallsend on Sunday, and a pedestrian struck and killed by a semi-trailer at Karuah on Monday morning.

UPDATE: Pedestrian killed near Karuah earlier today

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

UPDATE:

Police are trying to piece together how a pedestrian was killed near Karuah earlier today.

Officers from Port Stephens Local Area Command were called to the northbound Tarean Road off ramp exit at Karuah following reports a pedestrian had been hit by a truck.

The truck driver was treated at the scene for shock, but sadly the male pedestrian in his 30s was killed.

EARLIER

Police were called to reports of a serious accident on the Pacific Highway at Karuah earlier this morning.

It's understood a pedestrian was hit by a truck at Tarean Road just before 6.30.

One of two southbound lanes on the highway is still closed.

The condition of the pedestrian is still not known.

Details to come.

Woman knocked down by drunk driver in Nelson Bay

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

A woman remains in a serious but stable condition in the John Hunter Hospital after being knocked down by a drunk driver at Nelson Bay.

Police say the 25-year-old was walking along Magnus Street early yesterday morning when she was hit by a Mazda utility.

The vehicle then crossed the road and collided with the front of a house.

Police say the driver, a 43-year-old man, later returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.170.

He's due to face court next month after being charged with high range drink driving and causing bodily harm.

Lemon Tree Passage speed change

BY JESSICA ROUSE

In what some believe is yet another cash grab to raise revenue, the speed limit is changing along parts of Lemon Tree Passage.

The speed limit will be dropped by 10km/hr in some spots from next Tuesday.

It's in a bid to bring down the number of road accidents which happen along the stretch of road. In the five years to December 2015 there were 43 crashes, 33 resulting in injury.

Image portstephensexaminer.com.au

Experienced skydiver landing goes wrong near Singleton

BY JESSICA ROUSE

An elderly man was flown to the John Hunter Hospital yesterday after a sky diving accident at Elderslie near Singleton.

The 83-year-old man, who was an experienced sky diver, "landed heavily" following a solo jump.

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to the incident shortly after 1pm where the man was taken to hospital in a stable condition with a broken femur.

Car accident on Wybong Road last night

BY JESSICA ROUSE

The Westpac Rescue Helicopter was called to a nasty accident near Muswellbrook last night.

A man was flown to the John Hunter Hospital after he sustained serious injuries in a single vehicle accident on Wybong Road.

The 42-year-old is reported to be in a stable condition.

Woman recovering in John Hunter Hospital after motor scooter accident

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A woman is recovering in the John Hunter Hospital after an accident in Taree late yesterday afternoon.

It's reported she was riding a motor scooter when she ran up the back of a stationary vehicle.

The Westpac Rescue chopper treated the 55-year-old at the scene before taking her to hospital with a lower leg fracture and upper body injuries.

Investigations into Denman car accident

BY JESSICA ROUSE

Hunter Valley police are investigating a crash near Denman over the weekend which left five people injured.

A Suzuki Vitara rolled on Bylong Valley Way early yesterday morning near the intersection of Mount Dangar Road throwing three people out of the tray in the back of the vehicle.

Two of the three, both 16-year-old girls, were seriously injured and airlifted to John Hunter Hospital, while the driver and passenger were treated for minor injuries.

The driver, a 17-year-old male, was breath tested at the scene and returned a negative result.

Driver trapped after serious crash near Muswellbrook

BY IAN CROUCH

A truck driver has been taken to hospital overnight in a serious condition after a bad crash north of Muswellbrook.

A B-double and a semi-trailer collided on the New England Highway at Sandy Creek Road just after 12.30 this morning.

One of the drivers was trapped for some time before being released and taken to the John Hunter Hospital.

The other truck driver was also injured.

The Highway is closed with diversions in place, while the rail line is also closed after the B-Double ended up on the tracks.

Man unconscious after accident at Redhead

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A man has been pulled unconscious from a vehicle after a two car accident this morning at Redhead.

Emergency services were called to Redhead Road at the Oakdale Road intersection just before 10am where they found a driver who was trapped for some time in a car before being pulled unconscious from the vehicle.

The man in his 20's was taken to the John Hunter Hospital.

The other driver walked away and didn't require any treatment.

Young girl raises alarm for her Mum after Gloucester crash

BY IAN CROUCH and JESSICA ROUSE

A little girl is being praised for her quick thinking and life saving actions after helping to save her mother in a quad bike crash north of Gloucester yesterday.

The 4-year-old girl witnessed her mother's quad bike roll several times down a steep slope yesterday afternoon leaving her trapped in the wreckage.

The pre-schooler ran to her mum and comforted her, falling and suffering a graze to her face along the way - before climbing back up the embankment and returning home to call triple-zero.

The 35-year-old mum was trapped for more than two hours before she was freed and flown to the John Hunter Hospital by the Westpac Rescue Helicopter.

The woman was flown in a stable condition, sustaining a broken leg and lacerations from the accident.

Police say the little girl will be formally acknowledged for her life saving actions.

It comes only days after the state government urged Hunter farmers to be safe when riding quad bikes and take advantage of free quad bike training to reduce the number of injuries and deaths on rural properties.

Image 9news.com.au

Motorbike rider lucky to escape high speed crash

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A man is lucky to escape a high speed crash on his motorbike at Kurri Kurri yesterday.

The man was clocked travelling at 160 kilometers an hour on the Hunter Expressway yesterday afternoon by Highway Patrol officers carrying out speed enforcement.

Officers tried to catch up to the bike in the 110 kilometre an hour speed zone, but were unable to do so.

A short time later they found him seriously injured crashing into a guardrail on Barton Street.

The 28-year-old was taken to John Hunter Hospital with multiple leg fractures.

He's yet to be interviewed by police.

BREAKING! Teenage girl hit by car in Charlestown

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A teenage girl is being treated at the scene of a car accident on the Pacific Highway in Charlestown.

Emergency services were called to the accident near Ocean View Road at 8am this morning.

The girl is currently being treated for a leg injury at the scene.

Two of three northbound lanes are now closed, with heavy traffic causing significant delays in the area.

A lucky escape for a man on Cessnock Road overnight

BY JESSICA ROUSE

A man has made a lucky escape overnight at Gillieston Heights after a truck collided with the rear of his car.

Just after midnight, the car was attempting to make a left hand turn on Cessnock Road, when the truck came up behind hitting the rear of the car.

The driver of the car was taken to John Hunter Hospital for suspected neck injuries.

Neither man were seriously injured.