Police are warning motorists to take care on the roads after a number of crashes in the Southern Region in the last few days.
Superintendent Michael Murphy said police received reports of a motor cyclist being injured on the dirt track near the Finke Community, a single vehicle rollover on the Plenty Highway, another motor cycle crash north of Tennant Creek and two incidents involving road trains near Elliott.
“People have to be acutely aware of the potential risks when driving in remote areas, especially in relation to wandering stock or native animals and poor road conditions on some dirt tracks,” Supt Murphy said.
“On Saturday morning the driver of a road train carrying livestock braked to avoid a kangaroo on the Stuart Highway 40 kilometres north of Elliott. As a result 20 cattle had to be put down and the driver was lucky he wasn’t injured. This followed another incident where a road train jacknifed in the same area on Thursday afternoon after an on-coming car drifted into the path of the road train.
“On Sunday morning just before 8am we received a report that a motor cyclist had come off his bike after trying to overtake a road train 50 kilometres north of Tennant Creek. The 50-year-old rider was hit by turbulence from the road train and came off the bike. He was lucky to escape with minor injuries.
“Another driver had a lucky escape when the vehicle in which he was travelling overturned after hitting an embankment on a dirt road near the community of Epanarra. This happened just before 4pm on Thursday.
”So, all in all, given the significant number of incidents we’ve had in the past few days in rural areas we want motorists to take note of the risks out there when they are driving. Any one of these crashes could have been more serious and without a doubt several could have been avoided.
“Drivers need to drive to the conditions and their own abilities, and if tired pull over and have a rest. They should also be aware of the risk of smoke hazards due to the large number of fires in the region recently, and particularly around Imanpa at present.”
Media Contact
Theresa Kuilboer
8951 8825
