THE type of vehicle involved
in the accident at Holsworthy Army Base yesterday which left one soldier in a
critical condition and 17 others injured had been involved in two previous
rollovers.
Colonel David Smith told
media this morning the Unimog, which was the same as the vehicle involved in
the accident, had been involved in two previous rollovers.
"But the point to bear
in mind here is when you look at the usage rate of the vehicle and compare it
to number of incidents occurred … it’s well below the national average,"
he said.
"It’s well-maintained by our soldiers. It’s designed for carrying both stores and personnel in the back.
He said it was important to wait and see what the outcomes of enquiries were before speculating on details of the crash.
"It would be inappropriate to speculate on the cause of the accident," he said.
"Out of respect for
injured soldiers and families … I’m unable to divulge information."The Australian Defence Force in general considers its people to be its greatest asset."
The army engineers were crammed inside the Unimog 4WD, heading back from a field training exercise, when the outdated and due-to-be- replaced camouflaged vehicle left the road while making a left-hand bend about 9am.
Sixteen people on bench
seats in the rear cage of the truck, along with bags of equipment from the
training exercise, were flung on to the roadway as the vehicle rolled several
times.
An
ambulance is pictured coming out of the back gate of Holsworthy army barracks
with a man wearing fatigues driving. Picture: Melvyn Knipe Source: News Limited
Two rear passengers were
critically injured when they were thrown from the rolling vehicle.
One of them, a 21-year-old
man, Is on life support in Liverpool Hospital with critical head
injuries. His family were at his bedside last night and police said they were
"praying for the best".
The other man, 19, is in a
critical condition in Westmead Hospital with spinal and internal
injuries.
Both men were flown to
hospital from the crash scene.
Eleven other people remain
in Sydney hospitals being treated for varying injuries,
including broken bones, while five others were treated at the base medical
facility.
More information would be
released later today, Defence said.
Police are due to be on site
for some time examining how the truck came to roll.
Inspector Steve Blair from
the NSW Police metropolitan crash investigation unit said it appeared speed was
a likely factor in the accident.
An
areial shot of the overturned vehicle. Picture: Sky News Source: Supplied
He said police and
paramedics were faced with a "horrific" accident scene when they
rushed to the base.
"Things like this, with
18 people, a vehicle overturned, people being ejected from the vehicle, it will
look somewhat horrific," he said.
Insp Blair said police would
today seek to interview the driver, who suffered chest injuries, to get a
better idea of what happened in the lead-up to the rollover.
He said police would take
detailed photographs of the scene, look at skid marks and examine the truck's
brakes as part of the investigation.
"While this is an
unfortunate accident, it's important to remember the military moves hundreds of
people every day around the nation and accidents like this are very few and far
between," Insp Blair said.
The vehicle involved in the
crash is part of a fleet to be phased out and replaced under the government's
$7.5 billion Project Overlander.
Unimogs have been used by
the army for 30 years, but have recently been deemed unstable and do not have
provisions for restraints.
The government is expected
to begin introducing replacement vehicles from the start of next year.
Defence yesterday refused to
comment on the accident until all relatives of the injured soldiers had been
contacted.
An
Australian Army truck which rolled on a road within the range at Holsworthy
Barracks in south western Sydney.
Picture: Craig Greenhill Source: The Daily Telegraph
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