The Southern Highlands district of New South Wales has borne witness to a fatal car accident on March 9 that involved two vehicles.
Police say that the crash occurred at around 16:30 on the Kings Highway to the east of the town of Braidwood.
Initial reports indicate that a maroon-coloured Ford Falcon station wagon was travelling west on the arterial roadway when it moved onto the wrong side of the dividing line and collided with a black Mitsubishi Outlander SUV that was heading in the opposite direction.
The diver of the Ford – a 52-year-old man – was found dead at the scene and authorities have indicated that he may have been killed outright in the initial impact.
Travelling with the man were his two daughters aged ten and eight years old – both of whom were also found deceased.
Fortunately, the occupants of the Mitsubishi – a 43-year-old male driver, a 39-year-old woman, a and two girls aged 13 and 11 years old – were able to escape without life-threatening injuries.
All four victims were taken to the nearby Canberra Hospital for medical treatments and further observation.
Police closed off the roadway for a number of hours to allow emergency services to tend to the injured parties before specialist forensic teams were called in to examine the scene.
There has been no official word on what may have caused the Ford to drift into the oncoming lane, although a number of media reports have suggested that the weather and the road itself may be to blame.
A local resident told The Daily Telegraph on March 9 that the site of the crash was well-known to drivers in the area, with a bend in the road that made it easy for unwary travellers to “be collected”.
The resident stated: “It’s quite a notorious bend around there and there’s a lot of traffic on the road.”
Photos and footage of the crash site also show thick mist, fog or low cloud was present in the area, although police have not indicated if they believe this played a part in the collision.
In NSW elements such as poor weather are not usually grounds for a ‘no-fault’ car accident compensation claim, as environmental conditions are considered to be foreseeable and drivers are expected to know how to react – although it may still be considered as a contributing factor.
