CRASH investigators have been given more than a month to gather evidence in the case of a Tamworth man charged after a tragic double fatal.
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The man, aged in his 40s, appeared in Tamworth Local Court on Wednesday, accused of causing the fatal crash near Nowendoc just before 12.30pm on September 26.
A young girl and a 72-year-old woman died at the scene, and a woman and three children were hospitalised in the wake of the head-on crash.
The man cannot be identified for legal reasons and faces nine charges including two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
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"This is causing enormous psychological distress for my client," solicitor Andrew O'Halloran told the court on Wednesday.
"It is a complete tragedy in the highest order."
Family of one of the deceased were also in court for the case mention on Wednesday.
The court heard the brief of evidence had not yet been completed.
"I received an email from the officer-in-charge requesting a further six weeks for the service of the brief," Mr O'Halloran said.
Police prosecutor Sergeant John Brissett said in these matters "it takes some time".
"They're seeking an adjournment," he said, confirming instructions from investigating police.
"It's not the Tamworth Crash Investigation Unit, it's the Metropolitan Crash Unit.
"They've sent emails."
Magistrate Julie Soars excused the accused from appearing on the next occasion, which she said was "standard and consistent with COVID practices [in courts]".
"I'll note the crash investigators need some more time for the brief, with bail to continue," she told the court.
Obviously these things do need to be looked at very closely.
- Magistrate Julie Soars
"Obviously these things do need to be looked at very closely."
He has not been required to enter pleas to the allegations which also include negligent driving causing both death and grievous bodily harm; four counts of causing bodily harm by misconduct while in charge of a vehicle; and not keep left of a dividing line.
The man was charged by police from the metropolitan crash investigation unit in the days following the incident and first fronted court in October.
Police claim the man was behind the wheel of a four-wheel-drive that was towing a campervan when it collided with an oncoming sedan on the Thunderbolts Way near Nowendoc, an hour from Tamworth.
It's the police case that the man was driving when he's alleged to have crossed to the wrong side of the road, causing the crash which ultimately killed a young girl and a 72-year-old woman.
The elderly woman was driving the oncoming sedan, and was the only occupant, but died at the scene.
The young girl was a backseat passenger in the four-wheel-drive and suffered critical injuries and couldn't be saved. She died en route to John Hunter Hospital in Newcastle.
The case returns to court in January.