Emergency services and Major Crash officers at scenes of serious crashes across Adelaide

Roads were closed and drivers are fighting for their lives in hospital after a series of crashes in Adelaide – as police say they’re “perplexed” by the shocking start to the year.

SA Police have made a desperate plea for drivers to “stop the carnage” after a horror hour on the state’s roads left two people fighting for life in hospital.

An alarming start to the year on SA roads continued worsen on Thursday as two trucks and a motorcyclist were involved in separate crashes across Adelaide.

The first crash occurred just after 9.20am when a semi-trailer rolled at the intersection of Grand Junction Rd and South Rd in Wingfield.

The driver, a 31-year-old Allenby Gardens man, was taken to hospital with critical injuries.

Less than an hour later, just before 10am, a Holden sedan crashed into an Isuzu truck and trailer on Military Rd in Largs Bay.

A car has crashed head-on into a truck at Largs Bay. Picture: 7NEWS

A truck has rolled on to its side at Wingfield. Picture: 7NEWS

BREAKING: 35 minutes of mayhem has left two drivers and motorcyclist in hospital. CCTV captured the moment a truck rolled on its side at Wingfield. A motorcyclist slammed into a bus in the heart of the CBD. A driver is fighting for life after a shocking smash at Largs Bay. #7NEWSpic.twitter.com/PzhNTUUabm

— 7NEWS Adelaide (@7NewsAdelaide) March 9, 2023

A 36-year-old man from Taperoo behind the wheel of the car was taken to the RAH with life-threatening injuries.

He was in a stable condition on Thursday night.

The 23-year-old Milang man who was driving the truck was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for medical evaluation and a routine blood test.

Major crash officers attended both crashes and are investigating.

A learner driver on a motorbike has crashed into a bus in the CBD. Picture: 7NEWS

In a separate incident this morning a motorcyclist was left with minor injuries after slamming into a bus at the intersection of Currie St and King William St in the city about 10.20am.

The motorbike was left wedged under the bus.

The crashes come as police prepare for a blitz on the March long weekend, a period that has incurred five fatalities over the past four years.

Police Assistant Commissioner Ian Parrott said the number of lives lost this year was both perplexing and devastating.

“It is really perplexing for us. If we had a silver bullet, we would have fixed this problem a long time ago,” he said.

“We are ever more cautious and ever more focused on the fact that we do want people to stay safe on our roads, and come home.”

Mr Parrott said all of the crashes have been preventable and a large percentage have been attributed to speeding or distraction.

In an alarming revelation, he said there was evidence in some fatal incidents drivers had been on social media immediately prior to crashing.

“If you pick up the phone in a mobile car, it’s more than likely that could be the last time you ever pick up the phone,” he said.

Mr Parrott said road users should start thinking about what is at stake if they made poor choices.

“Maybe one way to think about it is to pick someone in the vehicle you’re taking away with this weekend that is not going to come home with you. Because at the rate we’re going so far this year, in all likelihood, that may well be the case,” he said.

With more than 70 per cent of lives lost occurring on regional roads this year, Mr Parrott said police will be out in force on major highways this weekend.

He warned those who don’t adhere to the rules to expect to feel the full weight of the law.

“If you do take chances this weekend, you will get caught, you will get a heavy fine, you’ll potentially lose your licence on the spot, and your car will be impounded,” he said.

“So have a think about what that’s going to do to your long weekend.”

The crashes come as South Australia grapples with a horror start to the year on the state’s roads.

A fatal crash on Tuesday sent the road toll to 32 lives lost compared with 15 at the same time last year.