NSW police charge man after investigation into train derailment

A man will appear in court tomorrow, charged following investigations into the circumstances of a train crash in the Illawarra, which left four people injured last week.

About 4.05am Wednesday 20 October 2021, emergency services attended the train line on West Dapto Road at Kembla Grange, after reports of a train and vehicle crash.

Police were told the four-carriage train struck an unoccupied van, which had been abandoned on the track, before the front carriage of the train rolled onto its side.

The 13 occupants of the train were extracted, with four people taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.

Officers from Lake Illawarra Police District established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

During the examination of the scene, police located a go kart on a trolley in the rail corridor and a large hole in the security fence between the rail corridor and the raceway.

Inquiries revealed that the van had been stolen earlier that morning from a home at Flinders.

Following extensive inquiries, Lake Illawarra detectives arrested a 47-year-old man at Duley Street, Dapto, about 1.30pm today (Wednesday 27 October 2021).

He was taken to Lake Illawarra Police Station, where he was charged with take and drive conveyance without consent of owner, two counts of destroy or damage property, larceny, drive motor vehicle during disqualification period, endanger safety of person on railway, cause obstruction to railway locomotive or rolling stock, enter enclosed land not prescribed premises without lawful excuse, and breach bail.

The Berkeley man has been refused bail to appear at Wollongong Local Court tomorrow (Thursday 28 October 2021).

/Public Release. View in full here.