A teenage boy has been charged following a fatal crash in the Hunter Valley.
About 10.45pm on Friday 6 July 2024, emergency services were called to Lemon Tree Passage Road, Salt Ash, following reports of a single-vehicle crash.
Officers from Port Stephens-Hunter Police District arrived to find a white Ford Falcon sedan containing five young persons, aged 14-17, had left the roadway and impacted with a tree.
Despite the efforts of NSW Ambulance Paramedics and first responders, a teenage boy, aged 16, died on the way to hospital.
Three other teenage passengers, aged 14 and two 17-year-olds, were taken to John Hunter Hospital for various non-life-threatening injuries.
The driver of the vehicle – a 17-year-old boy – was subjected to a roadside breath test which allegedly returned a positive result, before he was taken to hospital for mandatory testing and further assessment.
Upon his release from John Hunter Hospital yesterday (Sunday July 7 2024), he was taken to Newcastle Police Station and charged with learner not accompanied by driver, negligent driving (occasioning death) and special category driver drive with special range PCA.
He was granted conditional bail to appear at Raymond Terrace Local Court on Monday 19 August 2024.