A series of separate road and track incidents across the Illawarra region over the weekend has resulted in multiple teenagers requiring hospital treatment and a young boy being airlifted to a specialist Sydney hospital.
Friday Night Ute Collision in Minnamurra
The first of the three incidents occurred on Friday, January 9, shortly before 5pm on Riverside Drive in Minnamurra. Emergency services responded to a collision between a Toyota ute and a Landcruiser.
Paramedics assessed two men, both in their late teens, at the scene. While one escaped injury, the other was transported to Wollongong Hospital for treatment of arm and leg injuries.
Cyclist Hit in Wollongong
The following evening, just before 8.30pm on Saturday, paramedics were called to the intersection of Kembla Street and Stewart Street in Wollongong. A crash involving a car and a cyclist had taken place.
The cyclist, a woman also in her late teens, sustained a leg injury. She was taken by ambulance to Wollongong Hospital for further care.
Serious Motocross Crash at Mount Kembla
The most serious incident happened on Sunday morning, shortly before 9am, at the Mount Kembla motocross track. Two children were injured in a crash, prompting a significant emergency response.
NSW Ambulance tasked the CareFlight rescue helicopter to the scene. A specialist doctor and paramedics treated a young boy for a fractured femur and a fractured ankle.
Due to the severity of his injuries, the boy was airlifted to the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick in a stable condition. His mother accompanied him on the flight.
A teenage girl involved in the same crash suffered a broken arm. She was transported by road ambulance to Wollongong Hospital.
A Tragic Context
This trio of crashes follows a fatal collision at Appin on Thursday night, which claimed the life of a teenage girl and left two adults with serious injuries. A 22-year-old man has been charged with 14 offences in relation to that incident.
The weekend's events have underscored road and track safety concerns in the region, with emergency services responding to multiple serious incidents in a short timeframe.
