By Riley Walter
A major motorway in Sydney’s west was closed in one direction and traffic banked up for kilometres during peak hour after a woman was killed in a multi-vehicle crash near Blacktown.
Motorists were urged to avoid the area as diversions were put in place on the M7 and after the crash about 3.40pm, with about five kilometres of city-bound traffic banked up.
The crash site was cleared just before 7pm as traffic returned to normal.
Emergency services were called to Sunnyholt Road off-ramp at Acacia Gardens after a Suzuki X-Cross Turbo SUV and a Mazda BT50 ute, both travelling east, collided.
NSW Police said an 80-year-old woman in the passenger seat of the Suzuki died at the scene, while the driver, a man aged in his 80s, was not seriously injured.
The two men in the ute, aged in their 20s, also escaped serious injury, police said. Both drivers will undergo mandatory drug and alcohol testing.
Traffic was diverted off the M7 at Richmond Road, near Oakhurst, as well as South Street, Windsor Road and Old Windsor Road.
The motorway was closed for several hours while crash investigators inspected the scene.
Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or who witnessed the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.