Two people have been charged in relation to a hit and run in Australia’s Northern Territory (NT) after a human leg was found on the Stuart Highway about 30 kilometres southeast of Darwin.
Police were alerted to what appeared to be a human leg on the road just north of Coolalinga at 10.30 a.m. on Tuesday morning, and investigations confirmed that the remains belonged to an Aboriginal woman and were the result of an incident that occurred the previous night.
Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey told reporters on Thursday that police determined a vehicle had struck a pedestrian, and a suspect vehicle was subsequently identified.
On Wednesday afternoon, a traffic patrol officer was conducting patrols around Palmerston, near Darwin, and identified a vehicle at a residence that matched the suspect vehicle. Police then attended the residence and, after speaking to the 23-year-old occupant, placed him under arrest.
After further investigation, a 50-year-old woman was also arrested in relation to the incident, and through subsequent questioning of the suspects, police located the body of a woman thought to be the victim of a hit and run, although further forensic testing will be conducted to confirm this.
It will be alleged that the 23-year-old male was the driver involved in the collision impacting the victim,“ Morrissey said. ”It will be further alleged that the 50-year-old female has assisted him in removing the deceased to another location in an attempt to conceal the crime.”
The male has since been charged with hit and run, attempting to pervert the cause of justice, destroying evidence, and two accounts of misconduct regarding a corpse, while the woman faces similar charges, excluding a hit and run charge.
Both were remanded in custody to appear in Darwin Local Court on Friday.
Morrissey noted that there had been a number of pedestrian-vehicle collisions in the NT this year and stressed that if involved in a collision with a person or animal, the humane thing to do is stop, offer assistance, and report the matter.
“To fatally strike someone with your vehicle and then go to great lengths to cover it up is reprehensible behaviour,” he said.
“Detectives thank the public for their assistance in this case. The information and dash-cam footage provided by motorists played a vital role in piecing together what happened on Monday night.”
