Severed leg on Stuart Highway found as police warn person ‘could still be alive’

Shock twist after severed leg was found on busy Australian highway – as cops reveal that its owner could still be ALIVE

  • Police say the owner of a severed limb found on a NT highway may still be alive  
  • Motorists discovered the lower section of a leg on Stuart Highway in Coolalinga 
  • Investigators believe the leg might’ve been lost in a car accident 

Police say the owner of a severed leg that mysteriously appeared on a busy highway in the Northern Territory may still be alive.

Motorists discovered the lower section of a leg on Stuart Highway in Coolalinga, 30km south of Darwin, around 10.30am on Tuesday. 

The leg belongs to a ‘dark-skinned human being,’ according to police.

Investigators have surmised that the leg was lost in a car accident that occurred between 8 and 9pm Monday. 

Police say the owner of a severed leg that mysteriously appeared on Stuart Highway (pictured) in the  Northern Territory may still be alive

‘As a result of the examinations of the scene, police have established that there has been some sort of vehicle versus pedestrian collision on the inbound lane of the Stuart Hwy at that location,’ Detective Senior Sergeant Paul Morrissey said.

‘Information received since the event has occurred from members of the public have suggested that a collision has occurred at that location between the hours of 8pm and 9pm on Monday evening.’

‘The owner of the leg has not been identified, nor the rest of the person.’

Officers have also not been able to confirm if the individual is still alive but Senior Sergeant Morrissey said it was a likely possibility.

‘The additional information was it was survival but would need medical treatment as soon as possible,’ he told reporters.

Hospitals and clinics in the region have not identified any patients with identical injuries sustained from such an accident after inquiries were made. 

Police have also not found any other body parts in the area of the crime scene despite extensive search efforts. 

Police have also not found any other body parts in the area of the crime scene despite extensive search efforts. Stock image

Police have also not found any other body parts in the area of the crime scene despite extensive search efforts. Stock image

The remains were first discovered by a motorist after 9pm on Monday – not long after police estimated that the collision occurred.

The motorist, who did not report the leg to police at the time, relayed their shock after seeing it on the road.

‘I saw what looked to me like most of a leg and foot,’ they told the NT News.

The unnamed individual found the limb ‘laying crossways on the road’ and saw the ‘sole of the foot and toes’.  

‘I thought for sure that I didn’t just see part of a human leg and didn’t actually believe myself until this morning, when I saw they found human remains on the highway.’

Police have requested motorists with dash cam footage recorded on the section of highway between Monday afternoon and Tuesday morning to come forward.