Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell rushed to hospital after car crash

Former AFL umpire Troy Pannell has reportedly had life-saving surgery after a car crash on a country road in Victoria.

Pannell is wanted by the law and only yesterday there was mystery surrounding his whereabouts after he failed to show up at the Supreme Court.

WATCH THE VIDEO ABOVE: Troy Pannell fails to show up in court.

Now it has been reported that he is in a serious condition at The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne.

He was reportedly “rushed to Melbourne” after a “single vehicle crash” on Friday night.

“It’s understood Pannell’s car ran off the road in rural western Victoria on Friday and hit a tree, with no other vehicle nearby at the time,” the News Corp report said.

Pannell is being pursued by his former employer, SeaRoad Shipping, who allege he defrauded them over $8.7 million.

The 48-year-old’s name was called out at Victoria’s Supreme Court on Friday but he was not in attendance.

It’s the second time he has missed a scheduled court appearance and arrest warrant was issued to bring the former AFL umpire before Justice Andrew Watson in a civil case.

Only yesterday the court believed he had left Victoria and was possibly heading to South Australia.

Officers had been instructed to keep him in custody until the next hearing.

Pannell officiated 291 AFL games from 2005 to 2018 — including a controversial 2016 match where he awarded 17 free kicks to the eventual flag-winning Bulldogs and only one to Adelaide during a regular season game.

It has been alleged that Pannell generated invoices to pay a company named Independent Container Surveyors & Assessors (ICSA) to repair damaged shipping containers, with each “repair” costing SeaRoad $800 to $900.

It is also alleged that Pannell had authority to approve purchase orders up to the value of $5000, and it was only when a finance manager noticed ICSA was not registered for GST that suspicions were raised.

SeaRoad alleges ICSA did no work to repair any containers and never checked the work had been done as it trusted Pannell to follow the proper processes of the company.

“SeaRoad is satisfied you have committed serious misconduct. You have been the sole shareholder and director of ICSA from 2010 to date. We find your response that you did not know you held these positions to be fanciful,” a letter from SeaRoad to Pannell, tendered in the civil court case, read.

A forensic search has also revealed that Pannell apologised to his wife Lynise Woodgate in an email sent in October, 2023.

The email was titled “Love U”, and Pannell wrote: “I’m so sorry for everything …. I don’t know (w)here 3 years have gone, we have been so busy …. And had I realised everything I am feeling right now, 3 years ago … … I would not feel the way I do today.

“Hopefully your day is not too stressful u there, and enjoy your night.”