Police concerned by run of rollovers

A 19-year-old man was pulled from this wreck on the Arnhem Highway by tourists after the four-wheel-drive rolled several times. The driver was lucky to escape with a broken arm.

AFTER dealing with four rolled vehicles in less than a fortnight, Jabiru Police are urging drivers to be more aware when travelling at speed on highways in Kakadu.

A 19-year-old man had a lucky escape after his four-wheel-drive utility rolled on the Arnhem Highway 80km west of Jabiru. Tourists pulled the young driver from a flattened wreck after finding him trapped inside a utility that had flipped and rolled several times after leaving the blacktop on Tuesday 14 October.

Amazingly, he escaped with a broken arm.

On Friday 24 October, police attended two more single vehicle rollovers, with one vehicle flipping on the old Jim Jim Road, and another on the Arnhem Highway, 62km from Jabiru. Sergeant Stephen Constable from Jabiru Police said yet another vehicle rolled on the Kakadu Highway on Sunday. 

“We urge drivers not to drive tired, to pay attention to the road, and to check their vehicles for roadworthiness, including the condition of their tyres,” Sgt Constable said. “The rollover on the Arnhem Highway on Friday was due to a blown rear tyre, while the one on Jim Jim Road involved a lack of knowledge of driving on dirt roads. But we are seeing too many rollovers due to fatigue or lack of attention.”

Sgt Constable said the young man in the crushed utility had been very lucky. “That could have been a lot worse,” he said.

A CareFlight spokesperson said the TIO rescue helicopter took off for the crash scene at 2pm after intitial reports of serious injury suggested people were trapped inside the flat top utility. When they arrived, staff from Jabiru Health Clinic were already on the scene and the man had been extricated from the badly crushed cabin by passing motorists.

After initial assessment by the CareFlight doctor it was found the man a broken arm. The Careflight helicopter flew the man to Jabiru Clinic for further treatment, landing at Magela Oval, before transferring him to Royal Darwin Hospital later that evening. Duty Superintendent Del Jones investigations into the crash were continuing.

“Alcohol does not appear to have been a factor,” Superintendent Jones said.