A 43-year-old American tourist was involved in a shocking head-on crash with a semi trailer, when he drove onto the wrong side of Bells Line of Road, causing the semi to jackknife.
The accident happened about five kilometres east of Mt Wilson Road on Thursday October 13 at 4pm.
Trapped for an unknown period of time, he was assisted by rescue crews out of the Toyota Estima Juicy hire van and airflifted to Liverpool Hospital for treatment.
Blue Mountains Police Acting Inspector Adam Evans said “preliminary investigations made indicated he was on the wrong side of the road and collided heavily with the semi trailer”. Inspector Evans said the driver was “very fortunate” to only end up with leg fractures in the incident after colliding with the heavy vehicle.
Police assault
A 51-year-old Katoomba man swung a punch and attempted to headbutt a police officer in the Leura Woolies carpark on Saturday October 15 at 7.30pm. The man was charged with intimidating police, using offensive language, resisting and assaulting an officer after police searched his car, on suspicions of drug possession. He was bailed to appear in Katoomba Local Court at a later date.
Rock climbing accident
A 31-year-old woman fell five metres and struck a rock ledge while rock climbing at Bardens Lookout at Mount York on Saturday, October 15 at 4pm.
The novice climber was with a more experienced climber and fell suffering a major head injury and a dislocated shoulder. Rescue Police and ambulance attended the scene. The victim was unconscious for several minutes and is also believed to have suffered a fit at the scene. She was taken by ambulance helicopter to Westmead where she has undergone emergency surgery and was expected to be moved into an intensive care bed in the head injury unit.
Blue Mountains Police Rescue has advised that “all parties undertaking rockclimbing activities should be with experienced people and use all safety equipment required”. “She has only been rock climbing for four weeks and was for some reason lead climbing,” a Police Rescue officer said in a report.
Robberies
Police are investigating a robbery and an attempted robbery in Blaxland. Thieves attempted to break-in to the premises of Mountain Bites on Hope Street between October 13-14, damaging the front door. At 5.30am on October 14 the Blaxland Tavern was broken into and about $1000 in property stolen. Police are trying to determine if it was the same person/s.
