An African immigrant is behind bars in Darwin after being charged with seven offences over an alleged hit-and-run crash that left one man dead and two others in hospital.
Christian Mpongo, 38, allegedly crashed head-on into another car in Palmerston on May 16 before allegedly fleeing the scene, altering his appearance, and evading police with the assistance of the local Congolese community, The Australian reported.
A 36-year-old man was killed in the crash, and two other men aged 35 and 80 were taken to hospital in a stable condition.
Mpongo, who had his licence cancelled for five years in January 2023 for high range drink driving and driving while disqualified, was arrested in Farrar on Saturday.
He was charged with seven offences including hit and run driving causing death and serious harm – which carries a maximum sentence of 10 years jail – careless driving resulting in death and serious harm, and driving a vehicle while disqualified.
The Congolese man faced Darwin Local Court on Monday supported by six family and friends, NT News reported.
Judge Giles O’Brien-Hartcher thanked Mpongo’s supporters for attending, but remanded him in custody to appear in court again on July 16.
Northern Territory Police said it was now investigating how Mpongo, who was allegedly the sole occupant of the Dodge he was driving at the time of the crash, managed to allegedly flee the scene.
“At this stage, only the 38-year-old driver who fled the scene has been arrested,” a police spokesman said.
“How he fled the scene and his subsequent evasion of police forms part of the investigation with the co-operation of some members of the public.”
Header image: Christian Mpongo (Facebook).
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