In what has become a notorious accident blackspot, another person has been injured in a crash at the Great Western Highway/Sinclair Cresent turn-off in Wentworth Falls. Blue Mountains Crime Manager, Detective Chief Inspector, Scott McAlpine, said about 6pm on Friday, a 66-year-old Wentworth Falls woman was driving a Mazda west along Sinclair Crescent and stopped at the intersection. She then drove across the eastbound highway lanes but her car "travelled into the path of a 28-year-old Blackheath man riding a motorcycle and heading east in lane one of two".
Inspector McAlpine said the "rider attempted to avoid the crash by braking heavily and evasive action, but collided with the driver's side front door and was ejected from his bike. The single skid line measured 31 metres long and travelled from lane one into lane two. The rider fell through the air and landed on the road. He was assisted by other motorists, including an off-duty doctor and paramedic. He suffered serious injuries and was flown by ambulance helicopter to Westmead Hospital ... in a stable condition but with multiple fractures to various parts of his body."
The woman was trapped in her car and required extraction by police rescue. Her minor injuries were treated at Katoomba Hospital where she also underwent mandatory testing. An investigation is ongoing and police are seeking witnesses and dashcam footage. Call 4782 8199. The site is currently subject to a traffic audit.
Police pursuit
On the same evening, Lithgow Highway Police alleged they spotted a car being driven at 50 kilometres over the speed limit in South Bowenfels (130km/h in an 80km/h zone). A police pursuit was initiated, but terminated due to safety concerns. The car was seen in the Mountains traveling at high speeds, but no further pursuits were initiated. Police monitored the black Holden Commodore from different locations, as it travelled to Linden before turning around and heading west. With the assistance of a police helicopter, the car was located in Old Bathurst Road, Wentworth Falls, locked and secured. A police dog and police from Katoomba station conducted a search and a 31-year-old man from Orange was found nearby hiding in bushland and arrested.
The man was found with a traffickable amount of a suspected prohibited drug, GHB - gamma-hydroxybutyric - known as Fantasy or liquid ectasy and $3,100 cash, Insp McAlpine said.
He was taken to Katoomba station and later charged with 18 separate offences, including Skye's Law police pursuit offences. He was refused bail and was expected to appear at Parramatta Local Court on October 13.
