Tag Archives: police

Pillion dies in three-vehicle crash

A female pillion rider in her 40s has died in a three-vehicle crash in Sydney’s south west today (19 July 2020) and the ride has been rushed to hospital.

Police say the accident about 10am on Moorebank Avenue, near Church Road, Moorebank, involved two cars and a motorcycle.

The motorcycle rider, a man believed to be aged in his 30s, was treated at the scene by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to Liverpool Hospital in a critical condition.

The pillion, a woman believed to be aged in her 40s, died at the scene.

The driver of a Lexus, a 36-year-old man, and the driver of a Mazda, a 43-year-old man, were both uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

Specialist officers from the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit attended and examined the scene.

Investigators are appealing to motorists who witnessed the crash or who may have dash cam vision to come forward.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the woman killed in the crash and our best wishes to the rider for a full and speedy recovery.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

TruCAM II: Rider’s friend or foe?

While some riders may not like the hi-tech TruCAM II radar gun’s ability to more accurately measure speed, the device could also be considered a friend of the motorcyclist.

Features which may appeal are its ability to target tailgaters, aggressive drivers, distracted driving and vehicles obstructing traffic.

Call to double driver phone penalties roundabouts distracted
Distracted drivers are one of our most hated motorists

So why aren’t they used more for these offences, rather than just speeding offences?

We asked police and transport departments in several states for statistics on offences from TruCAM II units and were either told the figures were not available or would take days/weeks to acquire.

We will update this article if they ever arrive.

TruCAM II

Many police departments now have TruCAM II devices but some don’t divulge their technology.

Victoria Police said they do not use the devices which cost about $A36,000 (£20,000, $US25,000) per unit.

While the units could be a friend to riders, more often than not they seem to be their foe.

Some of their abilities specifically target riders including its “rear-plate mode” which measures the speed of an approaching motorcycle (or other vehicle with a missing or obscured front plate) and tracks it as it passes so that it captures the number plate.

The images are highly accurate to 150m and at speeds up to 320km/h.

Manufacturers Laser Technology Inc (LTI) say the device will detect any vehicle, capturing its make, model and registration plate.

LTI claim the cost of the device is justified by providing better proof of an offence so officers are not required to front court when a fine is challenged.

Other features include:

  • Differentiating speeding motorcycles and other vehicles in heavy traffic, including when lane filtering/splitting;lane filter filtering splitting traffic commute commuting congestion Brisbane
  • Automatically capturing images in a fixed distance, such as school and construction zones;
  • Auto focus, iris and shutter speed for clear number plate images up to 150m away;
  • Enforcing multiple speed limits on the same highway and distinguishing between commercial and private vehicles;
  • Allowing enforcement at night or within tunnels;
  • Capturing vehicles misusing bus, transit or car pool lanes;
  • Detecting vehicles obstructing traffic;
  • Measuring the speed, traveling time and distance between two vehicles for “Following Too Closely” or “tailgating” violations; and
  • Detecting drivers and passengers not wearing seat belts.

Since the system’s clarity can detect seat belt infringements it may also pick up riders who have not done up their helmet chin strap.

LTI say TruCAM II also has built-in detection algorithms to combat laser jammers. (Western Australia is the only state in Australia that allows radar detectors.)

LTI have sold more than 6000 photo/video lasers to more than 90 countries.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Motorcycle cop rammed by ute

A ute driver has been charged after a Queensland road policing officer’s motorcycle was rammed by a ute in Brisbane overnight (5 July 2020).

Police say the incident occurred about 8.30pm when the officer was conducting traffic enforcement on the northbound lanes of the Gateway Motorway near Mount Gravatt Capalaba Road.

The bike cop detected a ute “allegedly travelling at speed” towards the Old Cleveland Road exit and intercepted it near the Old Cleveland Road off-ramp.

As the officer approached the ute it will be alleged the driver reversed at speed for a distance, colliding with the front of the police motorcycle causing it to fall onto its side and sustain minor damage,” a police statement says.

“The officer suffered minor injuries only.”

The ute was later found in Parkridge Avenue at Caboolture where the alleged driver, a 60-year-old man, was arrested without incident.

He has been charged with dangerous operation of a motor vehicle and serious assault of a police officer and is expected to appear in the Brisbane Magistrates Court on September 30. 

Investigations continue.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

Quote this reference number: QP2001397121 within the online suspicious activity form.

Riders dies in Bruxner crash

In northern NSW, a 59-year-old male rider died in a crash yesterday on the Bruxner Highway, about 40km east of Tenterfield.

NSW Police have been told the man was travelling west on the highway in a convoy with other motorcycles, when he became separated from the group and crashed.

New England Police District is investigating the crash and calling for information or dashcam footage.

Contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Our sincere condolences to the family and friends of the rider.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Holidays start with tragic rider crash

The Queensland school holidays have got off to a tragic start with a 37-year-old male rider dying after a collision with a vehicle at Parklands on the Sunshine Coast today (26 June 2020).

Queensland Police say their preliminary investigations show that around 11.30am a blue motorcycle was heading south on Nambour Connection Road when it collided with a black Toyota travelling north from the Bruce Highway offramp.

“The rider was taken to Nambour Hospital but was declared deceased shortly afterwards,” police say.

The driver of the Toyota was transported to Sunshine Coast University Hospital in a serious condition.

Police are appealing for anyone who may have been travelling in the area at the time of the crash or has dash cam vision to come forward.

The Forensic Crash Unit is investigating.

If you have information for police, contact Policelink by providing information using the online suspicious activity form 24hrs per day at www.police.qld.gov.au/reporting.

You can report information about crime anonymously to Crime Stoppers, a registered charity and community volunteer organisation, via crimestoppersqld.com.au 24hrs per day.

Quote this reference number: QP2001325840 within the online suspicious activity form.

Our sincere condolences to the rider’s family and friends.

Riders should take note to exercise extra caution with the substantially heavier traffic on the roads during the school holidays, especially around tourist destinations.

Serious crash

Queensland Police are also calling for dash cam video or witnesses to a serious motorcycle crash at Yeppoon on Tuesday evening (23 June 2020).

The crash occurred about 8pm on Matthew Flinders Drive.

Police say the rider turned into Poplar Street and “lost control”, hitting a tree.

The 22-year-old man was transported to the Rockhampton Base Hospital for treatment to life-threatening-injuries.

Our best wishes to the rider for a full and speedy recovery.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Watch shocking motorcycle hit and run!

This hit-and-run crash on an LA freeway is shocking, but also amazing as the rider received only minor injuries.

It was recorded by driver Will Panda on his mobile phone about 7pm on Friday (19 June 2020).

“I saw a van coming up behind us with sparks flying and then we caught this passing us by,” he says on his YouTube channel where he posted the video.

“A hit and run driver in Corona smashed into a motorcycle, pinning it under his bumper and dragging it off the highway. We doubled back to see if we could find him but he had run his car into a fence and presumably took off running.

“It looked straight out of a movie, we could not believe it, we hope the motorcyclist is okay!”

According to CBS Los Angeles, the rider is ok, but has complained about pain to his arms and legs.

They report that the driver has not yet been taken into custody or charged.

It seems absolutely amazing that the rider in this hit-and-run incident on an LA freeway received only minor injuries.The wrecked bike is finally dislodged

Hit and run crashes

We have reported on many hit-and-run crashes involving motorcycles over the years.

It seems drivers think they can get away with hitting a motorcycle and doing a runner.

There can be several reasons for this, mainly the fact that a crash wth a motorcycle tends to have minimal impact on a four-wheeled vehicle so it is capable of driving off.

The fact that the bike and rider may be incapacitated also means they are unlikely to be able to give chase.

But we also wonder if there is a growing callous disregard for the health and safety of riders.

Do they view us as having a death wish?

Hit-and-run drivers face heftier penalties if caught, including lengthy jail time, depending on the jurisdiction.

However, they are only charged with leaving the scene of an accident if there is a death, injury, or a tow truck is required and the incident is reported to police.

Not only do drivers face tougher penalties for leaving the scene of an accident where someone is injured, but it also decreases a victim’s chance of survival.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Officer dies in motorcycle crash with ute

A utility driver who allegedly ran a red light and hit a motorcycle killing the rider, a police officer riding home from duty yesterday (18 June 2020), appeared in a Sydney court today.

Tommy Balla, 37, of The Ponds, has been charged with dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death.

The rider was Constable Aaron Vidal, 28, who was travelling home to Bligh Park after completing his duties at Sydney City Police Area Command.

NSW Police say the crash occurred at the intersection of Windsor and Schofields Roads, Rouse Hill, just before 5.45pm.

Paramedics found Aaron critically injured and started CPR, but sadly he died at the scene.

Balla was uninjured and taken to Westmead Hospital for mandatory testing.

He was later charged, refused bail overnight and appeared in Blacktown Local Court today where police alleged Balla drove through a red light.

The matter was adjourned to 14 August 2020 with Balla released on conditional bail.

NSW Police issued this statement about the officer:nsw cops police Horror bike crashes in two states lying seeking dubbo overnight bail negligent SUV young national park fatal knocking unlicensed guilty stolen

Constable Vidal attested as part of class ‘332’ on Friday 8 December 2017, after which he commenced duties as a probationary constable at Sydney City. He was confirmed as a constable in December 2018.

NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has extended his condolences to the Vidal family on behalf of the NSW Police Force.

“My thoughts are with Aaron’s family and fiancée, as well as his current and former colleagues at this difficult time,” Commissioner Fuller said.

“Aaron was one of six siblings and worked alongside his father, Chief Inspector David Vidal, at Sydney City.

“Dave has always been incredibly proud of his son following in his footsteps and walking the beat side-by-side with him.

“He spent his entire policing career at Sydney City Police Area Command, where he has been part of the Proactive Crime Team since late last year, targeting crimes that directly impact the community.

“On two occasions he had been formally recognised for good police work by members of the community, which shows that he was held in high regard by not only his peers, but the community he served.

“Prior to joining the police force, Aaron served in the Australian Army, which further demonstrates his commitment to serving and protecting the community,” Commissioner Fuller said.

Constable Vidal’s family has requested privacy at this time.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Rash of NSW trail bike crashes

There has been a sad run of trail bike deaths and injuries in NSW in the past week.

Rider dies at Figtree

Emergency services were called about 6.20pm yesterday (16 June 2020) when a man had not returned home after going for a trail bike ride alone in the bush at Figtree.

Police attended and started a search. The 24-year-old man was located in bushland one kilometre west of O’Brien Rd, Figtree.

NSW Ambulance paramedics attended, however the rider died at the scene.

It is believed the trail bike rider was alone when he “lost control of his motorcycle” and hit a tree.

A report will be prepared for the Coroner.

Cooma trail bike crash

Three trail bike riders were riding along Wadbilliga Rd, Tuross, east of Cooma, at 1.45pm on Saturday (13 June), when one fell off, about 2km from Tuross Rd.

A second rider went to the man’s aid, while a third left to seek assistance before an emergency beacon was activated, alerting emergency services.

Officers attached to Monaro Police District attended, along with NSW Ambulance paramedics.

Sadly, the 58-year-old male rider died at the scene.

Wagga Wagga crash

A teenager is in a critical condition after a single-vehicle trail bike crash at Wagga Wagga last Wednesday, just after midnight.

Police were told the unregistered trail bike was being ridden on a dirt track in parkland off Ashmont Avenue, Ashmont, by a 15-year-old boy.

He crashed and sustained life-threatening head injuries. His 23-year-old male pillion was also injured.

Both were taken to Wagga Wagga Base Hospital.

Reports on the fatal crashes will be prepared for the coroner.

Anyone with information about any of these incidents is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report crime via NSW Police social media pages.

Our sincere condolences to the families and friends of the riders who passed away and our best wishes to the injured rider and pillion for swift and full recovery.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Stolen bikes take longer to recover

Stolen motorcycles and scooters are now taking longer to recover, according to the latest National Motor Vehicle Theft Reduction Council report.

It shows that in the 12 months to March 2020, motor vehicle theft rose 11% while motorcycle and scooter theft was up a whopping 19% to 9938.Motorcycle theft hot spots

Motorcycle thefts by state

State or Territory

2018-04 to 2019-03

2019-04 to 2020-03

% change

Thefts

% of thefts

Thefts

% of thefts

ACT 105 1.2 122 1.2 16.2%
NSW 2,023 22.6 2,155 21.7 6.5%
NT 85 1.0 94 0.9 10.6%
QLD 1,792 20.0 2,128 21.4 18.8%
SA 623 7.0 865 8.7 38.8%
TAS 163 1.8 219 2.2 34.4%
VIC 2,057 23.0 2,177 21.9 5.8%
WA 2,090 23.4 2,178 21.9 4.2%
AUS 8,938 100.0 9,938 100.0 11.2%

Time to recover

Worse still for the owners, stolen motorcycle recovered within seven days dropped by 10%.

The time to recover stolen motorcycles increased most in Victoria and was more pronounced in metropolitan areas.

Most stolen vehicles took longer to recover the more expensive and younger they were.

However, stolen motorcycles did not show any considerable differences in the time to recover across vehicle age.

The Council believes some of the reasons for the longer recovery period for motorcycles include:

  • An increase in the use of cloned number plates to avoid detection and the elimination of registration labels. This makes it more difficult for police to detect stolen vehicles and gives thieves more time to use the stolen vehicle.
  • Changes in police priorities including a greater focus on drugs, terrorism and domestic violence.
  • Offenders’ perception of police pursuit policies. Offenders may believe that by riding dangerously they can convince police to pull out of a pursuit thus enabling them to keep the stolen vehicle for a longer period of time.
  • An indication that offenders are getting older and less likely to be detected by police based purely on their age.
  • A community shift to a “mind your own business” approach to crime. People may be less likely to ‘get involved’ if they see an abandoned vehicle resulting in a delay in it being report to authorities. There is also a possibility that this change in social attitude is more evident in metropolitan areas.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Trial set for red light bike crash

Almost a year to the day after allegedly running a red light, and hitting and injuring a 63-year-old male motorcyclist, the driver of a Nissan utility will face a trial in the Parramatta Local Court.

Driver Daniel Marjoribanks was charged after the crash at the intersection of Schofields and Windsor roads, Rouse Hill, on 12 September 2019.

Last week he appeared for the eighth time in Parramatta Local Court where the matter was re-listed for a hearing on 11 September 2020.

Police say the Nissan utility was travelling south on Windsor Road, Rouse Hill, about 9.30pm when it approached the intersection of Schofields Road and was faced with a red right turn arrow.

“The driver allegedly turned right against the red arrow and struck a motorcycle which was being ridden north through the intersection,” police will allege.

The rider suffered multiple compound fractures to his right leg and fractured ribs.

Marjoribanks was charged with:

  • Dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm;
  • Negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm;
  • Fail to stop and assist after vehicle impact causing grievous bodily harm;
  • Fail to stop and assist after impact cause injury;
  • Drive when visiting privileges withdrawn – first offence; and
  • Not give particulars to injured person.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com

Double demerit points for long weekend

Double demerit points are in place in NSW and the ACT this Queen’s Birthday long weekend with NSW Police launching Operation Stay Alert from midnight tonight (5 June 2020).

NSW Police say they will have officers “out in force targeting speeding, drink and drug driving, driving while fatigued, mobile phone, helmet and other traffic offences” until midnight on Monday (8 June 2020).

On Wednesday, stationary Random Breath Test (RBT) and Roadside Drug Test (RDT) resumed following the easing of various pandemic restrictions affecting licensed premises and travel.

Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Assistant Commissioner Michael Corboy, says double demerit points will be in effect during the “high-visibility operation”.

Closed borders

NSW and Victoria have not closed their borders, so riders can enter NSW.

However, they may face some difficulty returning home.

Lions Rd borderLions Rd Qld/NSW border still closed

Some Queensland borders are closed such as on the Lions Rd. Others are open, but riders will need to get an entry pass so they can return. You can get a pass by clicking here. It only takes a minute.

South Australian riders should click here for details on their border closure measures.

Double demerits danger

Riders from Victoria, Tasmania, Northern Territory and South Australia passing through NSW, ACT or WA during any declared holiday period do not cop the double demerits.

However, Queensland riders should note that double-demerit points are effectively in place all year round.

The law in Queensland is that double points do apply to speeding offences of 21km/h or greater over the speed limit and seatbelt offences if they occur more than once within a 12 month period.

If you incur the penalty in another state, it still applies as if it happened in Queensland.

Lawyer Stephen Hayles of Macrossan and Amiet Solicitors says he has been asked by clients about the system after copping a fine in an applicable state.

“For example if you commit two speeding offences of driving 21km/h over the speed limit in a 12 month period, you will be allocated four demerit points for the first offence and four demerit points for the second offence plus an additional four demerit points,” he says.

“This means that you will have accumulated 12 demerit points within a 12 month period and you risk having your licence suspended.”

How demerit points are recorded

NSW police blitz demerit

Double points apply in NSW and ACT over the Australia Day weekend, Easter, Anzac Day, Queen’s Birthday, Labour Day and Christmas/New Year.

In WA, the double points apply on Australia Day (unless it falls on a week day), Labour Day, Easter, Anzac Day (unless it falls on a week day), Western Australia Day, Queen’s Birthday, and Christmas/New Year.

If a rider in another state commits a traffic offence in a state during a double-demerit period, the offence is recorded as a double demerit offence on their traffic history in the state where the offence happened.

The state licensing authority will then report the offence to the transport department in your state who will record the offence on your traffic history.

However, the double points will only apply in Queensland under the circumstances described above.

Choice of penalty

Stephen says that if you have committed a traffic offence recently and you receive a Queensland Transport notice that you have accumulated your allowed demerits, you will have a choice of a good driving behaviour period or a licence suspension for a period.

“When considering whether to agree to a good behaviour driving behaviour period and a licence suspension, it is important that a licence holder understands that accepting a suspension of their licence may preclude them from making an Application for a Special Hardship Order or an Application for a Restricted (Work) Licence for the next five years,” he warns.

If you are unsure about how many demerit points you have, you can search your record online at your state’s transport department website or call them and request a copy of your traffic history.

Source: MotorbikeWriter.com