news, latest-news

A car has burst into flames on the Monaro Highway just north of Michelago after hitting a kangaroo on Monday morning, with the fire spreading to the grass at the side of the road. Michelago Fire Brigade captain Brent Wallis said three fire trucks were dispatched to the scene, near the intersection with Kelly Road, and had managed to contain the car and grass fires by about 7am. "From what I understand, the owners of the car have hit a kangaroo about 150 metres further up the road," Mr Wallis said. "That's somehow started an electrical fire in the engine bay." Mr Wallis said the occupants of the car were not injured in the incident. "The three young men [travelling in the car] got out of it fairly easily and actually helped us put out the fire," he said. The NSW Rural Fire Service asked drivers to avoid the area if possible on Monday morning as firefighters worked at the scene, with significant traffic delays in both directions. Just after 8am, Mr Wallis said firefighters had helped get traffic flowing after extinguishing the car and grass fires. The crash comes as kangaroos move closer to roads in increasing numbers, with the drought continuing to decimate their usual sources of food. ACT rangers are being called to a record number of crashes involving kangaroos, with more than 4000 of the animals likely to die on territory roads by the end of the year, according to ACT Parks and Conservation director Daniel Iglesias.

https://nnimgt-a.akamaihd.net/transform/v1/crop/frm/silverstone-ct-migration/3156ac2c-06be-4ac7-8879-045baa8d4bb6/r253_0_1988_980_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg