Crimeline: Ten taken to hospital - Crown Range Summit head on
Ten taken to hospital - Crown Range Summit head on
Ten people were taken to Lakes District Hospital by St John Ambulance crews, at least one with moderate injuries, after what is believed to have been a head-on collision between two vehicles near the summit on Crown Range Road at around 3.30pm yesterday (9 September).
Four ambulances rushed to the scene as well as volunteers from Arrowtown and Frankton Fire Brigades who assisted with patient care and traffic management, FENZ Otago Lakes Group assistant commander Nic McQuillan says.
A St John spokesperson says crews treated all 10 patients at the scene for injuries ranging from moderate to minor, before transporting them all to hospital.
Emergency services were still at the scene late yesterday (9 September) and a Police spokesperson said that while the Queenstown bound lane was open, motorists were advised to expect delays or take alternative routes.
It’s believed there’s been another minor crash in the vicinity within the past week, and in July a person died in a fatal car-bush crash on the Crown Range Road a few kilometres south (Queenstown side) of Cardrona Village.
Would-be Banksy graffiti artist dobbed in
Prompt action from a member of the public helped Police net an alleged young graffiti artist at work spray painting under the Lower Shotover Bridge just after 5.30pm on Tuesday, 8 September. Shute says an off-duty officer had been in the area at the time, and a young person has been referred to Police Youth Aid.
A Facebook community post from a concerned nearby resident alerted parents that a teenage boy in a black hoody and black trousers with a can of blue spray paint had allegedly run away very slowly uphill when confronted. “Maybe have a word about leaving the street art to Banksy and his poor drawing skills to his parents' fridge,” the post says.
Tow the line
Police intervened after a man allegedly became aggressive and yelled at a line of people queuing outside a local bar on Camp Street, then
became racially abusive to Police when asked to move on just before 10pm on Sunday, 6 September.
Constable Amanda Shute says the man had been seen being pushed back by the line of people and when approached by officers he’d allegedly continued his aggression, yelling at the line, allegedly becoming racially abusive to Police. He was arrested for disorderly behaviour after again refusing to leave the area and a formal written warning was issued.
More aggression
Two men were also arrested for disorderly behaviour after allegedly having to be restrained by security officers for trying to fight staff in a Mall bar shortly before 10pm on Saturday, 5 August, Shute says. The men had been removed from the bar and allegedly continued to be physically aggressive towards security. They were released by Police with a formal written warning.
Hostel staff member allegedly assaulted
A man, who allegedly punched a staff member in the face at a local backpackers’ hostel, has been charged with assault and resisting Police. Shute says an intoxicated man had allegedly entered the reception area just before 1.30am last Thursday, 3 September, becoming verbally abusive to a staff member. She says he then allegedly punched the staff member in the face and left, later located down the road by Police arguing with another person. “When arrested the man has resisted Police applying handcuffs and tried to run away.”
Drink driving
A 36-year-old local man has been charged with driving with excess breath alcohol third or subsequent, after allegedly blowing 502mcg when stopped by Police on Kawarau Road last Thursday, 3 September. Shute says the driver had been stopped by Police after a vehicle was allegedly observed doing a U-turn prior to a checkpoint soon before 9pm.
Another driver stopped at the checkpoint allegedly blew 592mcg just prior at 8.45pm and was charged.
Rescue helicopter kept busy airlifting ski area patients
The Otago Southland Rescue Helicopter was kept busy early this week responding to two callouts to Treble Cone Ski Area – one just after 1pm on Tuesday, 8 September, to airlift a patient with moderate injuries to Dunedin Hospital, the other just before 11am the previous day, a St John Ambulance spokesperson says. That patient was also airlifted to Dunedin with moderate injuries. St John also transported a patient in a moderate condition from Cardrona Ski Area to Dunstan Hospital by road after two ambulances responded to a callout there mid-afternoon on Monday, 7 September. A patient was also treated and transported to Lakes District Hospital with moderate injuries after an accident at Remarkables Ski Area, just before 4pm on Monday, 7 September.
