Miraculous twist after car cut in half in horror crash as Australia faces 'critical' period
A teenager has remarkably escaped unharmed after a shocking crash saw his Mazda torn in half on Tuesday evening in Sydney.
Shocking images have emerged of the aftermath of an allegedly alcohol-fuelled, high-speed crash on Tuesday that saw a Mazda completely split in half and sent flying into nearby homes.
The teenage driver of the Mazda remarkably survived the horrific accident, that took place at the intersection of Old Northern Rd and Hill Street in Baulkham Hills in Sydney's north, without injury.
He has now been charged with mid-range drink driving and has been disqualified from the road after allegedly returning a blood alcohol reading of 0.110, more than two times the legal limit.
The accident occurred at 7.15pm on Tuesday and saw the Mazda completely torn apart, with the rear half of the vehicle flying into neighbouring properties. The driver of the other car involved — a 45-year-old man — was taken to hospital as a precaution but is understood to be in a stable condition.
"His licence was immediately suspended, and he was charged with mid-range drink driving, and will appear in Parramatta Local Court on December 11, 2024," police said in a statement.
While the cause of this particular incident is still under investigation, officers said, "alcohol and speed appear to be the main factors". "It’s important to remember that drink driving and speeding are leading causes of road accidents and fatalities," police warned.
"Remember, your choices on the road can have life-altering consequences. Stay safe and drive responsibly."
Australia's concerning spike in deaths on our roads
The dramatic incident comes as Australia grapples with the soaring rate of preventable deaths on our roads. Data has revealed that states and territories are all failing to meet road safety targets as the number of deaths continues to climb.
All governments aimed to halve road deaths by 2030 when they signed the National Road Safety Standards Agreement in 2021.
Three years later, the strategy is going backwards, with an increased national road toll of 17.4 per cent. In the year to September 2024, 1288 people died on Australian roads, and no state or territory is on track to meet targets. The timing of the report was critical, NRMA spokesman Peter Khoury said. "The road toll is clearly a tragedy. It's higher than last year and last year was a terrible year," he said.
"The next two months are critical as we head into what some call the silly season, alcohol consumption increases and so does the risk."
Data from the Australian Automobile Association tracks deaths in each state and found 12-monthly increases in road deaths in NSW (up 6.5 per cent), Victoria (8.5 per cent), Western Australia (7.1 per cent) and Tasmania (5.9 per cent).
The Northern Territory had a 130.8 per cent surge in crash fatalities during the period. Road deaths declined in South Australia (-9.8 per cent), Queensland (-4.2 per cent) and the ACT (-22.2 per cent), but those jurisdictions remain significantly off track due to previous increases.
NSW had the highest road toll with 343 deaths and the ACT had the least with seven. Khoury said the states' and territories' approach needed to be multi-faceted and include educational programs, policing investment, and data analysis.
With AAP
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