COFFS HARBOUR, NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA — A service-station employee was critically injured after a utility vehicle struck him while he was checking fuel tank levels on a Coffs Harbour forecourt, NSW Police said on 21 October 2026.
Emergency services attended Harbour Drive at about 7 p.m. on 20 October after reports that a 36-year-old worker was trapped beneath a ute. The police announcement the following morning confirmed his condition, transfer to specialist hospital care and charges against the alleged driver.
Multi-agency rescue on the forecourt
Members of the public initially provided first aid. NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue NSW and NSW State Emergency Service personnel then attended and freed the worker, according to police.
He was taken to Coffs Harbour Hospital in a critical condition before being airlifted to John Hunter Hospital. Reporting by 7NEWS included accounts from police and ambulance personnel about the rescue and corroborated that he had been carrying out a fuel-level check.
The man’s task placed him in an active vehicle area. Police said they had been told he was checking levels near the north-western side of the forecourt when the incident occurred. The official release did not provide findings about the employer’s traffic controls or the precise collision mechanism.
Driver charged; allegations remain before the court
A 44-year-old woman underwent mandatory testing and was charged with negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and breach of bail. Police said she was refused bail for a court appearance on 21 October. Charges are allegations, and this report does not imply that guilt or workplace liability has been determined.
HSE Blog analysis: protect workers during forecourt checks
Routine inspection tasks can require employees to leave protected pedestrian areas and enter customer vehicle paths. Site-specific planning should consider isolating the inspection area, controlling vehicle access and scheduling checks so workers have a protected space. These are general prevention considerations, rather than findings that any particular control was absent here.
Our guides to workplace transport safety and vehicle movement hazards and controls explain the wider risk-management context.
The NSW Police release confirms the worker’s condition, emergency response and charges. 7NEWS’ report and scene coverage includes additional police and ambulance accounts, while North Coast Times corroborates the account. One official source and two reporting outlets were available; five independent reports were not. No explicit reuse right for actual-event photographs was verified, so they are linked rather than reproduced. The featured image is an illustration.
Source
NSW Police; 7NEWS; North Coast Timespolice.nsw.gov.au
