Police have charged a teenage driver following a serious crash in the state's west last week.
About 9.30pm (Friday 20 October 2023), emergency services were called to Cargo Road in Cargo, about 30km south-west of Orange, following reports a Toyota utility left the road and crashed into a tree.
The driver – a 17-year-old boy – and passenger – aged 18 – were trapped for a short time before a passer-by freed them.
The passenger was treated on scene before being airlifted to Liverpool Hospital, where he remains in a critical condition.
The driver underwent a breath test at the scene, which allegedly returned a positive result.
Following the breath analysis, the teenager was taken to Orange Base Hospital for mandatory testing and for treatment of minor injuries.
Officers from Chifley Police District established a crime scene, which was later examined by specialist police from the Crash Investigation Unit.
Following inquiries, the 17-year-old boy was arrested about 10.50am on Saturday 21 October 2023 at the hospital before he was taken to Orange Police Station.
He was charged with negligent driving and granted strict conditional bail, where he is due to appear before a Children's Court on Thursday 9 November 2023.
