A 70-year-old ute driver remains on bail for another month after a fatal motorcycle crash in Dubbo on New Year’s Eve 2019.
NSW Police say the driver’s ute collided with a motorcycle about 9pm on the Mitchell Highway in Maryvale, just north of Wellington.
A male rider, aged 26, died at the scene.
The utility caught fire and was extinguished by NSW Rural Fire Service.
Driver Daniel Toohey and his female passenger suffered injuries and were airlifted to Orange Base Hospital.
Orange Police arrested Toohey on Australia Day (26 January 2020) and charged him with:
- Dangerous driving occasioning death;
- Negligent driving occasioning death; and
- Cause bodily harm through misconduct.
He was granted conditional bail which was continued this week when the matter was mentioned in Wellington Local Court. Toohey was not required to attend.
The matter has now been held over for further mention (committal) on 16 June 2020.
We will continue to follow this matter through the courts.
Our sincere condolences to the rider’s family and friends.
Utility crashes
Ute backs over bike without seeing itWe have published several articles about crashes involving motorcycles and utilities.
Without suggesting any blame for any of these incidents, it seems that a lot of motorcycle crashes involve a ute; just search our website for “ute crash”.
We suggest riders exercise extra caution when riding near utilities and trucks.
Ute drivers often use them as their work vehicle and may be distracted by calls involving their work.
They can also be loaded up with equipment and tools that could illegally disrupt a clear view of a small motorcycle in traffic.
You should also be aware that in some states, such as Victoria, there is no legal requirement for these drivers to cover their load.
So watch out for hazardous objects that could fall out of them.