Emergency services members numbering up to 25 were called to a truck crash on Jugiong Road on Monday this week, when a semi-trailer was found overturned on a bend, after it had left the road heading in a southerly direction. The truck and trailer were destroyed in the incident. Hilltops Shire staff were required to close the Jugiong road at the intersection of the Wyoming Loop, except for those who lived on the road or emergency workers. Travellers attempting to gain access to the Hume Highway were re-directed.
The single vehicle accident happened several kilometres past the Garangula turn off. The truck was carrying 399 first cross merino ewes at the time. The driver, a resident of Harden, was taken by ambulance to Wagga Hospital with head injuries and cuts and bruises. He is currently in a stable condition. He was transported by ambulance before the majority of the emergency services arrived to attend to the scene. Harden Fire and Rescue Brigade Captain Wal Leonow said, “It didn’t appear that he was going too fast but that the load may have shifted or something like that, right on the bend. He was very very lucky that it wasn’t worse.”
Fire and Rescue New South Wales along with local Rural Fire Service crews worked quickly to cut an access point at the back of the door to try and save as many sheep as possible. Wal said, “Short and sharp shifts were taken by those
present in an attempt to remove as many sheep as possible. The RFS were great in helping us get the sheep out. We were working like rabbits for a fair while to save as many as we could. The back doors were twisted and couldn’t be opened so we used rescue equipment to cut a big hole with a petrol powered saw to gain an access point.
The Harden Fire and Rescue Rehabilitation Van was on the scene and provided food and hydration to those
working at the site as the temperatures rose throughout the day.”
He said, “The animals were being assessed at the scene and local farmers chipped in with helping to round the sheep up to be taken to yards for further assessment. “We saved about 120 to 150, but unfortunately the remaining sheep perished or were euthanised by the police and the local lands department.”
Crews from the RFS, Harden Fire and Rescue, Police and Ambulance personnel, Roads and Maritime, Harden Shire, Local lands Department and several vets also worked at the scene.
Crews stayed on the scene for several hours to assist with clean up operations.
Heavy vehicle trucks travelled from Wagga to make the vehicle upright before taking it away.
Wal said, “Everybody worked really well together and we tried to save as many animals as we could. The welfare of
everyone on the scene was a priority. It was hard work. The ambulance staff stayed around to look after us and the
police did a good job of euthanising the sheep along with the Local Lands Department. An investigation is
