Two men killed in car rollover at Angaston in the Barossa Valley

It’s been a horror 24 hours on our roads, with two people killed ,and two others left fighting for their lives in separate crashes in regional SA, with police blaming poor decision-making as a key factor in many country crashes.

Two men have been killed and two more have been left fighting for their lives after separate crashes during a horror 24 hours on SA roads, prompting police to renew warnings around the dangers of driving in the country.

The first crash happened about 8km from Angaston, in the Barossa Valley, at 4.45pm on Tuesday, when a car rolled on Trig Point Hill Rd.

The driver, a Parafield Gardens man, 41, and his passenger, an Elizabeth South man, 35, died at the scene. Trig Point Hill Rd was closed to all traffic but has since reopened.

Emergency services at the scene of a fatal crash at Angaston. Picture: Jason Katsaras

Major Crash Investigators examined the scene with police confirming, based on initial investigations, that speed appeared to be a factor.

Superintendent Bob Gray, Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch said that the two men were work colleagues and it was understood they were both wearing seat belts.
Winery worker Mark Hoerich said accidents involving people unfamiliar with local roads were not uncommon.

“I’m not too surprised they weren’t local, we get a lot of people from out of town who can misjudge the roads, my wife was hit once by someone running a red from out of town, (and she ended) up in hospital.”

An Angaston local who did not wish to be named, said it was easy to lose control on Trig Point Hill Road, because it was a gravel road.

“Perhaps they weren’t familiar with the road,” the resident said.

“You can know the road like the back of your hand and still come unstuck, or you can drive it for the first time and come unstuck,” he said.

The fatality take the state’s road toll to 86, compared to 74 at the same time last year.

It follows a fatal crash on Kangaroo Island on Monday, that claimed the life of a Findon woman, 21.

Also on Tuesday, a man suffered life-threatening injuries after he was hit by a car at Port Pirie West.

The man was struck about 8pm on Senate Rd, before emergency services arrived and treated him at the scene.

He was then flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment, where he remains.

Police also responded to a serious crash at Meningie on Wednesday morning, after a man left the Princes Highway and crashed into a shed on Baker St about 6.10am.

He was also flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital for treatment of life-threatening injuries.

Superintendent Bob Gray, Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, said the past day on SA roads has been “absolutely tragic” and continued a worrying trend of deaths on country roads.

“It’s the result of people primarily making poor decisions, it’s as simple as that,” Supt Gray said.

“It disappoints me, because clearly 70 per cent of lives lost in South Australia are lost in regional South Australia”.

There have been 16 fatal crashes in the Barossa Local Government area this year, a 129 per cent increase on last year.

Three weeks ago, SA Police launched a large-scale safety campaign aimed at dispelling a myth among regional motorists that only metropolitan drivers die on country roads.

Late on Monday night, police announced that the driver involved in a crash that killed an 80-year-old woman at Birkenhead in October has been charged.

In that incident a Holden Commodore and Toyota Corolla collided on the corner of Semaphore Rd and Fletcher Rd about 5.30pm on Sunday, October 17.

The Toyota driver, a woman, 80, of Largs Bay, died at the scene.

The scene of the crash at Birkenhead, where a woman, 80, was killed in October. Picture: Dean Martin

A young girl in the rear of the Toyota was taken to the Women’s and Children’s Hospital with minor injuries.

A Woodville West man, 32, the driver of the Holden, was taken at the time to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with non-life threatening injuries. His passenger, another Woodville West man, also 32, was not injured.

The Holden driver was charged with aggravated cause death by dangerous driving, aggravated cause serious harm and drive unlicensed.

He was refused police bail and will appear in the Port Adelaide Magistrates Court on Wednesday.

Emergency services are at the scene of a serious crash at Angaston.

About 4.45pm today police were called to Trig Point Hill Road at Angaston, after a car crashed and rolled.

Trig Point Hill Road is closed to all traffic and motorists are asked to please avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/Mmj3LtDJpn

— South Australia Police (@SAPoliceNews) November 9, 2021