Driver speaks after collision with a sea lion causes delays on busy Port River expressway

The woman whose car collided with a sea lion as “big as a small cow” on a busy expressway has spoken out, as officials say it was a “freak accident”. WARNING: Upsetting image

*WARNING: Upsetting image

Early-morning commuters faced heavy delays into the city on Monday morning after an unusual collision.

A vehicle struck a what was later confirmed to be a sea lion on the North South Motorway, near the Port River Expressway at Dry Creek, leaving the carcass and debris spread over the road.

Authorities said they’d been informed the sea lion was near the motorway on Sunday but was in good health and was left alone. They said it was “incredibly rare”

The driver who hit the sea lion, Hayley Steele, told The Advertiser she was shaken up by what she called a “gruesome” incident that left blood all over the side of her car.

She said the colour of the animal blended in with the road and while she noticed traffic merging out of a lane it was unclear why until it was too late.

The driver of the car which hit the sea lion on the North South Motorway, near the Port River Expressway said the impact left her car covered in blood. Picture: Facebook.

The driver of the car which hit the sea lion on the North South Motorway, near the Port River Expressway said the impact left her car covered in blood. Picture: Facebook.

Ms Steele said she initially thought a kangaroo must have jumped out and hit her car.

“I just recently moved from south to north, on Friday, so it was my first time driving to work from my new home,” she said.

“I was starting to come off to the Port River Expressway and I’ve just gone airborne over this thing that was lying on the ground … the whole front end of my car was broken.

“It was pitch black, I couldn’t see anything.”

“There was another vehicle behind me that just clipped it, I was thankful for him because he stayed with me until my partner arrived.”

A seal has been hit on the North South Corridor. Yes a seal.

No I don’t have the details of how a seal came to be on the corridor.

It has caused traffic to be banked up and caused delays.

North South Motorway remains restricted southbound 1km north of the Port River…

— Tom Koutsantonis MP (@TKoutsantonisMP) April 6, 2025

A National Parks and Wildlife Service spokesman confirmed the animal was a sea lion first reported on Sunday.

“A sea lion had been seen in mangroves and near a bridge below the North South Motorway,” the spokesman said.

“An inspection of the male animal found it appeared to be in good health, was not near the edge of the road and was in no immediate danger.”

The spokesman said male sea lions weigh up to 300kg and are “large, powerful, and at times aggressive animals”, so attempting to move it would have been risky for staff and the animal.

“In most cases, animals return to their usual habitat on their own. Unfortunately, that was not the case in this incident, which appears to be a freak accident.”

They said a small population of Australian sea lions are usually spotted at the breakwater walls at Outer Harbor.

“It is incredibly rare for the sea lions to swim into the Barker Inlet, let alone venture this far inland,” they said.

Ecologist Kristen Messenger said it was uncommon for the animal – which she also suspected was a sea lion – to be in the area where the crash happened.

“There is a colony of, I think, a mixed colony of fur seals and sea lions around Outer Harbor,” she said.

“And there’s often what I think is a sea lion which hangs around the Largs Bay jetty … but it is very uncommon for them to venture into the mangroves, that’s for sure.”

The Port River Expressway. Picture: File

Ms Messenger said while it was unknown how the creature came to be on the road, the recent fish kills and washed up dead sea life associated with the algal bloom could have an impact on other species.

“This fish kill has been unusual as while it has taken out quite a few fish, it has also taken out quite a few invertebrates like shells, octopus, cockles, mussels and the success of the fish and the bigger species like the seals rely heavily on those marine invertebrates.”

An SA Police spokesman said authorities were aware the animal was in the area from Sunday morning and officers had sighted the sea lion.

“At 8am yesterday (Sunday) police received a call from a member of the public informing that a seal was near the mangroves, on the North South Motorway,” the spokesman said.

“Police sighted the seal and it was not causing any problems at that time. Marine and Parks were contacted to attend.”

A listener of FIVEAA reported the sea lion was the “size of a small cow … bigger than a sheep” and had probably wandered onto the expressway because it was ill.

Speeds and lane closures were in place for several hours.

Transport Minister Tom Koutsantonis seemed shocked by the incident, tweeting on X just before 8am: “A seal has been hit on the North South Corridor. Yes a seal. No I don’t have the details of how a seal came to be on the corridor. It has caused traffic to be banked up and caused delays. North South Motorway remains restricted southbound 1km north of the Port River Expressway due to a collision between a vehicle and an animal.”

That tweet was followed by another, this time a sign of a seal, with the words: “Next 2km. Reduce speed – wildlife crossing”.

pic.twitter.com/W5M3G7sQn8

— Tom Koutsantonis MP (@TKoutsantonisMP) April 6, 2025

The Advertiser understands a vehicle hit a sea lion early on Monday morning on the North South Motorway, near the Port River Expressway. Picture: FIVEAA

Originally published as Driver speaks after collision with a sea lion causes delays on busy Port River expressway