Warrigal aged care facility has pledged an internal investigation following the death of a respite resident on a rural road at Goulburn.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Police believe the 80-year-old man was struck by a vehicle on Middle Arm Road on Monday, September 11 shortly before 7.30pm when they were alerted by a motorist. The man died at the scene, despite paramedics' efforts.
READ MORE:
He had walked more than 2km from Warrigal's facility at St Aubyn Road, Marys Mount. The crash occurred some 500 metres north of the Marys Mount intersection with Middle Arm Road.
In a newsletter to residents and their families on Thursday, Warrigal's executive leader, service integrated communities, Craig Smith, expressed management's profound sadness that "this incident" had occurred.
"Goulburn is a close-knit community, and our dedicated staff and residents are an integral part of the community. We are all deeply affected by this unfortunate event," he wrote.
"Our support for the police and our commitment to assisting affected families, residents, and staff members will remain. We are maintaining regular contact with the family to provide them with additional support and to keep them informed of any developments."
ALSO READ:
Mr Smith said an internal investigation would thoroughly examine "any necessary changes to (Warrigal's) procedures or other practices" to prevent recurrence of such incidents.
He revealed that the man had left the facility, unattended, after dinner and was subsequently involved in "a tragic hit and run accident, resulting in his passing."
The Goulburn Post understands that dinner is served at 5pm at Warrigal.
Detective chief inspector Brendan Bernie said on Thursday that there were "significant gaps" in the man's movements between when he was last seen at the facility and the time he was found lying on Middle Arm Road. Police are still appealing for witnesses and dashcam footage from anyone travelling in the area at the time.
Mr Smith extended his "sincere apologies" and "commitment to delivering the best possible care" to residential care home residents.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can access our trusted content:
- Bookmark our website
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking news and regular newsletters
Louise Thrower
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
If you have a story to tell, drop me a line at louise.thrower@austcommunitymedia.com.au or call 0418 229 678.
