Tag Archives: oceania

'Loving mum' remembered after 'catastrophic' crash that killed five

A driver killed along with four of her employees in a "catastrophic" crash in Victoria this week is being remembered as a loving mother.

Debbie Markey was driving four international workers from the JBS Foods abattoir in Cobram home on Thursday in Strathmerton, near the New South Wales border.

The five of them and a dog were all killed instantly when a Mercedes driver allegedly failed to give way, and pushed her Nissan Navara into the path of a milk tanker.

READ MORE: Bail for driver allegedly caught speeding before 'horrific' crash that killed five in Victoria

Debbie Markey and four passengers died in a horror car crash in Strathmerton, Victoria, near the NSW border.

The 62-year-old was a mother of one, and her son described her as "a ridiculously fun energetic person" who "had time for everyone".

"Her life has not been easy but she really found her purpose looking after these foreign nationals. 

"A very proud mum and a great chef," her son Daniel said.

READ MORE: Wave of highly contagious 'kindy flu' prompts warning for parents

Christopher Dylan Joannides, the driver of the Mercedes involved in the crash at Strathmerton.

The workers killed in the car crash were from Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Friends also paid tribute to Markey, describing her kind nature.

"Very loving person, loved her family, loved her friends, animals, she was just a very caring type of person," Paul Ukich said.

"She was always there for everybody else cheering everyone else on when she was fighting her own demons you know," Cindy Pinner added.

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Christopher Dylan Joannides has been charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death over the state's deadliest crash since 2012.

The Doncaster man had been caught speeding about 18km/h over the limit less than an hour before the crash, police allege.

He was questioned for 40 minutes before being released with a fine.

Just three minutes later he allegedly failed to give way on Murray Valley Highway, pushing Mackey and her passengers into the path of a truck.

Joannides faced the Shepparton Magistrates Court yesterday afternoon and was granted bail.

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Wave of highly contagious 'kindy flu' prompts warning for parents

A spike in the number of cases of a highly contagious flu sweeping through New South Wales childcare centres has prompted a warning for parents.

Dubbed the "kindy flu", the influenza A strain is most prevalent in babies and young children, and health authorities are urging parents to get their kids vaccinated.

It's early in the flu season but there have already been 8704 confirmed cases of influenza across the state, 5500 more than this time last year.

READ MORE: Man charged over alleged assault of female cop at Sydney train station

Parents are being told to get their children vaccinated against the flu as a highly-contagious strain spreads.

Of those 8704, 1220 cases were in newborns to four-year-olds, and 1839 were in children aged between five and nine.

"We all know that young children are very good at spreading viral infections amongst themselves, so it's going pretty wild," Dr Charlotte Hespe from the Royal Australian College of GPs NSW said.

NSW Health Minister Ryan Park said people should get vaccinated against the flu as soon as possible.

"Particularly for vulnerable groups, that includes children aged from six months to five years, older people, Aboriginal people, and of course those with heart or lung conditions.

EXPLAINED: When should you get your influenza vaccine ahead of flu season?

Flu shots are available for almost everyone almost everywhere in the country in June.

"We know that influenza is starting to crop up in our preschools, in our early childhood centres, and in the early stages of school – and that's why we're sending a very clear message today – that parents really need to prioritise getting their children vaccinated," Park added.

Just two per cent of children aged six months to five years have received a flu vaccine this year, and only 1.4 per cent of five to 15-year-olds, according to the National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance.

The flu shot is free for kids under five.

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Bus driver charged after brake-checking young students

A US bus driver has been charged with 30 counts of child abuse after he deliberately hit the brakes to teach the young passengers aboard his vehicle a lesson.

Footage from the bus showed the primary school-aged children on the school bus in Colorado being shoved forward violently by the impact of the bus suddenly stopping.

"You guys need to be in your seats," Fitzgerald can be heard saying.

The students were flung forward when the bus driver brake-checked them.

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"You guys want to see how dangerous that is."

Footage from the bus showed most of the children sitting down, but some were standing up in their seats as they spoke to other pupils around them.

Fitzgerald has since written an apology letter after complaints from parents.

In the letter he began by talking about how messy the bus was when he arrived at work, and how the petrol tank was only a quarter-full.

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His apology did not come until the fourth paragraph of the letter, before which he had aired a number of grievances about his day.

"I am sincerely sorry for my choice of actions today in my efforts of training students," he said.

He has since been charged with 30 counts of child abuse by police, including one count of child abuse with bodily injuries.

That charge carries a maximum sentence of 364 days in jail.

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Man charged over alleged assault of female cop at Sydney train station

A man has been charged after allegedly assaulting a female police officer at a Sydney train station in the early hours of this morning.

Just before 2am police were called to Sydenham station, in the Inner West, after reports of a drunk man.

When police arrived the man tried to open the door of the police car before allegedly assaulting a female officer, leaving her with injuries to her face.

READ MORE: Police 'really concerned' about mother of newborn abandoned in Sydney backyard

A female police officer suffered facial injuries after allegedly being assaulted at Sydenham train station.

Additional police and security guards helped restrain the man, who was taken to hospital.

The officer was also taken to hospital with facial injuries but has since been released.

When the 39-year-old man was discharged, he was taken to Newtown Police Station.

He was charged with hinder or resist police officer in the execution of duty, assault police officer in execution of duty cause actual bodily harm, and common assault.

The man was refused bail to appear in Parramatta Local Court today.