Police close Illawarra Rd at Longford after serious crash
UPDATED: Police are investigating whether heavy rain contributed to a head-on crash at Longford this morning in which a 27-year-old Launceston woman was killed.
Tasmania
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UPDATED: POLICE are investigating whether heavy rain contributed to a head-on crash at Longford this morning in which a 27-year-old Launceston woman was killed.
Tasmania Police Inspector Scott Flude said there was “no explanation” yet as to why the Kia van the woman was driving reportedly veered across Illawarra Rd about 5am.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene to find the red Kia Carnival van and a white Fuso truck had collided head-on.
The crash happened in a 100km/h zone but Insp Flude said police were unaware how fast the car and truck were travelling before the crash.
“We believe it was raining heavily at the time; certainly that’s been a factor involved in three or four crashes today,” he said.
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“Obviously we’d ask anyone that saw this truck or the red Kia at that time of the morning to contact police.”
Insp Flude said the 63-year-old truck driver, an Evandale man, had been taken to the Launceston General Hospital with minor injuries.
Police have appealed to motorists to drive to conditions after a spate of incidents across the North in this morning’s wet weather.
One car hit a wire barrier on the Bass Highway after aquaplaning.
“There were a number of crashes as a result of cars just going too fast and aquaplaning, cars following other cars too closely, obviously the braking is inhibited greatly with the amount of water we had this morning,” Insp Flude said.
EARLIER: A woman has died and a man has been taken to hospital with leg injuries after a head-on crash between a truck and a car in northern Tasmania.
Tasmania Police said the accident happened on Illawarra Rd at Longford, about 1km west of the Wellington St intersection, about 5am today.
Emergency crews arrived at the scene to find a red Kia Carnival van and a white Fuso truck had collided head-on.
“The driver of the Kia, a 27-year-old Launceston woman was pronounced dead at the scene,” police said in a statement.
“The driver of the Fuso, a 63-year-old Evandale man, was transported to the Launceston General Hospital with a leg injury.”
The cause of the crash remains under investigation.
Anyone who may have seen the Kia travelling on Illawarra Rd before the crash is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
THIS MORNING: A serious crash between a truck and a car in the Northern Midlands is expected to keep Illawarra Rd closed for hours, police say.
Emergency services responded to the crash in Longford between Pateena Rd and the Wellington St roundabout about 5am today.
“This road will be closed to all traffic for a number of hours,” police said.
It’s unknown if any injuries have occurred as a result of the crash.
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