UPDATED: Man charged over deaths of two in floods near Yass granted bail

A man has been charged following the deaths of two men after their vehicle drove into floodwaters. Photo: File.

UPDATE, 3 pm: A man charged with manslaughter over the deaths of two people who died in floodwaters outside Yass has been granted bail.

Jawad Al Hussein, 41, appeared in the Parramatta Local Court to face allegations over the incident for the first time on Wednesday (21 December).

He was formally handed two counts of manslaughter, two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and a single count of driving with a suspended licence.

Magistrate Cate Follent granted bail, with conditions including a security agreement that means a person must forfeit $300,000 if Mr Al Hussein fails to comply with his bail acknowledgement.

Also, he must live at his home suburb of Guildford, which is in Sydney, surrender his passport, report to a police station every day and can’t enter the driver’s seat of a vehicle.

The matter was adjourned to 23 February 2023.

WEDNESDAY: A man has been charged with manslaughter following the deaths of two men while driving through floodwaters earlier this month.

Emergency services were called to the Preston Creek Causeway on Rugby Road at Bevendale, north of Yass, at about 11:15 pm on Monday (31 October), following reports a Mitsubishi Triton ute had been swept away into floodwaters.

Two men who were in the cabin managed to swim to safety and call for help.

However, two other men – aged 30 and 32 – who had been travelling in the tray of the ute were swept away with the vehicle.

Their bodies were located in November further downstream from the causeway.

Following an investigation under Strike Force Dossetor, a 41-year-old Guildford man was arrested at Merrylands Police Station in Sydney at about 10 am yesterday (20 December).

He was charged with two counts of manslaughter, two counts of dangerous driving causing death and one count of driving while suspended.

He’s been refused police bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court.

More to come.

Original Article published by Claire Fenwicke on About Regional.