A car crash has claimed the life of a 17-year-old P-plater and closed one lane of the busy Princes Highway this afternoon (14 January).
A police spokesperson said emergency services were called to the scene 10 km south of Moruya just after midday following reports of a two-vehicle crash.
“Police have been told a silver hatchback was travelling west on Bingie Road at Bergalia before turning onto the Princes Highway where it collided with a white van,” a spokesperson said.
“The female P-plate driver of the hatchback died at the scene. She is yet to be formally identified.
“The 62-year-old male driver of the van sustained minor injuries and was taken to Moruya Hospital for mandatory testing.”
It’s the second fatality on southeast regional roads in the past 24 hours. A man died following a multi-vehicle crash on the Kings Highway yesterday.
Stop/slow traffic control is in place on one southbound lane and motorists have been advised to avoid the area. Those who can’t are being asked to allow extra travel time and follow the directions of emergency services and traffic crews on site.
Among the outpouring of grief on social media, there was an undercurrent of anger about the safety of the Princes Highway intersection.
“How many more accidents need to happen at the Bingie turn off before they sort out the road situation there?” one person wrote.
“The design of the intersection should be modified to that similar to the northern access to Dalmeny,” another added.
“Bingie/Congo drivers heading north are subjected to harsh acceleration to get up to highway speed in a diminishing merger lane whereby the line marking forces them to give way to the inside vehicle and at the same time cannot cross the double line into oncoming southbound traffic.
“The Dalmeny solution fixes this problem.
“In addition, the sight distance to the south for northbound Bingie drivers is poor, for a 100 km zone.”
An investigation is underway into the circumstances surrounding the crash, and a report will be prepared for the information of the coroner. Anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact police immediately.