Road toll nightmare, say police
Mid West Gascoyne Traffic police say the region is in the grip of a car crash nightmare.
A 52-year-old Greenough man died in a head-on collision with a road train about 6pm Tuesday on the Brand Hwy at Cape Burney.
The 45-year-old truck driver was flown to Royal Perth Hospital by the Royal Flying Doctor Service and underwent surgery for a severe leg injury.
His condition yesterday was listed as serious but stable.
The accident came less than a week after Karen Collins, 31, of Murchison Settlement, and her unborn child died when her four-wheel drive overturned north of Mullewa.
Early Wednesday, a 25-year-old Three Springs man suffered serious head and neck injuries when the Holden Statesman he was driving ploughed into bush.
The car crashed east of Three Springs on the Perenjori Three Springs Rd.
Last month lecturer Ian Markham, 57, of Northampton, died when his Toyota LandCruiser crashed near Northampton.
Carnarvon man Justin Piers Dyson, 28, died in May when the Holden Astra he was a passenger in crashed into a Greenough bridge barrier, splitting the car in two.
In total, 30 people have lost their lives on Mid Wests roads since January 1, 2011.
Police will use DNA testing to formally identify the man killed in Tuesday’s accident.
Brand Hwy was closed for several hours as the road train overturned in the accident.
Traffic Sgt Paul Matthews compared the scene to “a war zone”.
He said investigations were continuing.
Sgt Matthews said police were battling “a tragic period” with accidents.
“The last few weeks has been very disappointing,” he said.
“We do go through periods when we get more serious fatal crashes and this is certainly one of those.
“The last couple have been quite tragic for the Mid West.
There’s no common thread, it’s just a tragic time we’re going through.”
The crashes come in light of a reminder this week from the Office of Road Safety for drivers to take care on regional roads.
This was prompted by two crashes involving trucks carrying oversized loads on the Great Northern Hwy near Mt Magnet.
On July 4 a diesel tanker ruptured, spilling 30,000 litres of fuel, when it collided with a truck.
On July 15, a car overtaking a truck veered out of control on gravel, hit the front of the truck and ruptured the fuel tank.
No-one was injured in either accident.
Sgt Matthews said police would continue efforts to keep the roads safe, but said the onus was on drivers to be responsible.
