A 21-year-old man has been charged over a crash that left three passengers dead at Tarago, north of Canberra and about 40km south of Goulburn, last weekend.
About 1:10pm last Sunday 28 July, emergency services were called to the intersection of Bungendore and Collector roads at Tarago after a vehicle left the road and rolled, coming to rest on its roof.
20-year-old Brooke Sorlie, her boyfriend Aaron French, also 20, and their friend Charlie Quinn, 18, died at the scene of the single-vehicle crash.
The group was reportedly returning to their hometown of Nowra from Canberra after attending a 21st birthday party when the crash occurred.
Ms Sorlie’s father Svein, who lives overseas, described his daughter as a “light in any room” due to her positive spirit in a Facebook post.
“You meant the world to me,” Mr Sorlie wrote.
“The ache of missing you has been a constant and now it feels even more profound.”
The 21-year-old male driver was able to get out of the vehicle unassisted and was taken to Canberra Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He also underwent mandatory testing.
Specialist officers attached to the Southern Region Crash Investigation Unit commenced an investigation into the matter.
Inquires established that the driver was the holder of a suspended licence.
About 3:35pm yesterday, Thursday 1 August, the 21-year-old man attended Nowra Police Station where he was arrested and charged with three counts of negligent driving (occasioning death) and one count of drive motor vehicle whilst licence suspended.
The North Nowra man has been granted conditional bail at appear at Goulburn Local Court on Wednesday 9 October. Investigations are ongoing.
The Daily Mail is reporting the name of the driver is Lachlan Stuckey, who was on a good behaviour bond at the time of the crash. They report Stuckey pleaded guilty to a hooning offence – prolong, sustain etc loss of traction – on January 9 in Nowra.
While no conviction was recorded, he was sentenced to a 12-month Conditional Release Order – which is in place until 8 January 2025.
Hume Police District Commander Superintendent Linda Bradbury said it was a “horrific scene” for first responders.
“Any fatality that police go to is confronting,” she said.
“The vehicle had left the roadway for factors still under investigation, rolled and landed on its roof.”
Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au. Information is treated in strict confidence. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.
