Australian Crime Rate
BREAKINGCoolabah, New South Wales

Man dies following truck fire - Coolabah

NSW Police·
Man dies following truck fire - Coolabah
Coolabah, New South Wales · NSW Police

The release

A man has died following a fatal truck fire in the state’s west yesterday evening.

Just before 9pm (Wednesday 16 September 2026), emergency services were called to the Mitchell Highway, Coolabah – about 130km southeast of Bourke – following reports of a fire.

Officers attached to Central North Police District attended and found a road train well alight.

NSW Rural Fire Service attended and extinguished the blaze; however, the truck was destroyed.

The body of a man – aged 50 – was located inside the vehicle.

A crime scene has been established, and police have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.

A report will be prepared for the information of the NSW coroner.

As inquiries continue, anyone with information – including dashcam footage – is urged to contact Central North Police District or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

Anyone with information about this incident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers: 1800 333 000 or https://nsw.crimestoppers.com.au . Information is managed on a confidential basis. The public is reminded not to report information via NSW Police social media pages.

— NSW Police
This report is from NSW Police. Read their full release: police.nsw.gov.au/news/news_article?sq_content_src=%2BdXJs…

Crime in the Bogan council area

Bogan is a council area in New South Wales with about 2,373 residents. It has a Crime Score 76 out of 100 (high), 40th of 362 councils nationally.

The score blends national percentile ranks for each published offence category with fixed severity weights; here it is driven most by assault (80th percentile), sexual offences (94th percentile), break-ins (94th percentile). Five years earlier the same basis gave 67.

Violent
2,613 per 100k
Property
9,060 per 100k
Break-ins
2,571 per 100k
Theft
3,118 per 100k

See the full Bogan crime profile

2016-17: 1,883 per 100,0002017-18: 2,153 per 100,0002018-19: 1,345 per 100,0002019-20: 1,472 per 100,0002020-21: 1,815 per 100,0002021-22: 1,711 per 100,0002022-23: 2,441 per 100,0002023-24: 1,995 per 100,0002024-25: 2,697 per 100,0002025-26: 2,613 per 100,0002016-172021-222025-26
Recorded violent offences per 100,000 residents in Bogan, 2016-17 to 2025-26 — up 39% over the period. Source: recorded crime published for New South Wales.

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