Worker dies in hospital after being dragged under ute at service station
Rescuers extracted the man from underneath this ute at a Coffs Harbour fuel station. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claire Simmonds)
In short:
A service station worker has died from his injuries after being hit and dragged under a ute in Coffs Harbour last week.
Police say the 36-year-old died in John Hunter Hospital yesterday and a report will be prepared for the coroner.
What's next?
The woman who was allegedly behind the wheel of the ute has been charged and will return to court on Wednesday.
A service station employee has died after being run over by a ute in Coffs Harbour last week.
Emergency service crews were called to a service station on Harbour Drive at about 7pm last Tuesday following reports a man had been dragged under a ute.
NSW Police said the 36-year-old had been crouched and was checking underground fuel tank levels when he was hit.
Bystanders performed first-aid before emergency services worked for half an hour to free the man from underneath the vehicle.
Fire and Rescue crews worked for half an hour to extract the man, who suffered critical crush injuries. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claire Simmonds)
He was taken to Coffs Harbour Base Hospital then flown to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle in a critical condition.
Today, NSW Police confirmed the man had died in hospital yesterday.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
The driver of the vehicle, Jessica Mae Breen, was charged with negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm as well as a breach of bail for separate offences.
The 44-year-old was granted bail on Wednesday and is due to appear in the Coffs Harbour Local Court again this week.
No additional charges have been laid at this stage.
Police closed the United service station on Harbour Drive in Coffs Harbour for the rescue and investigation. (ABC Coffs Coast: Claire Simmonds)
Not a targeted incident
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Acting Inspector Amanda Crouch said initial investigations suggested the incident was not targeted.
"The woman attended the service station for the purpose of collecting fuel," Acting Inspector Crouch said.
"She was leaving the forecourt at the time of the incident.
"The incident is subject to investigation by the Crash Investigation Unit and SafeWork."
Amanda Crouch says the crash is not being considered as a targeted attack. (ABC News)
Acting Inspector Crouch said there had been no previous interaction between the driver and the victim.
"They are not known to each other," she said.
NSW Ambulance Acting Inspector Tayla Chapman said in the aftermath of the incident that the rescue had been a complex operation for emergency services.
"It was incredibly difficult initially with the access to the patient being restricted," she said.
KioskNews shows a cleaned-up reading view extracted from the publisher’s page — the original always lives on their site, not ours.