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 Fatal crash near Cooma closes highway 

Fatal crash near Cooma closes highway

05 Aug, 2008 10:56 AM
A man has died in a collision involving a truck and a car in southern NSW that has closed the Monaro Highway indefinitely.

Police said a car was travelling south along the Monaro Highway, about 10km north of Cooma, about 3am (AEST) today, when it collided with a semi-trailer travelling in the opposite direction on the Numeralla Bridge.

The driver of the car died at the scene, police said, while the male driver of the semi-trailer and his female passenger were uninjured. They have been taken to Cooma Hospital for assessment.

Police from Monaro Local Area Command, together with the Police Rescue Squad, State Emergency Service, Fire Brigade and Ambulance, attended the scene.

A crime scene has been established and investigators are determining the cause of the collision.

Police said the highway was expected to be closed in both directions for an extended period.

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When will the government realise that the Monaro Highway is in a dreadful state. The few overtaking lanes are inadequate. Politicians congratulate themselves on the good work they are doing, NOT!. it is high time that this road was upgraded to a 4 lane highway.
Posted by NINE LIVES, 5/08/2008 12:19:45 PM
NINE LIVES... I agree that the road needs more work, overtaking lanes etc but expanding it to 4 lanes is not realistic. I drive this hwy from Cooma to Canberra and back twice a week, every week for last 5 years. I've been on the road 4 times when fatal accidents have happened. Do I wish it was wider, sure.... Could I justify the expense given the traffic flows ..... No
Posted by Classified, 5/08/2008 1:41:38 PM
The Monaro Highway is in a dreadful state. This highway should have been a 4 lane highway ages ago. Ditto for the highway to the South Coast and, in particular, our dreadful Pacific Highway. European motorways put Australian roads to shame!
Posted by Judith, 5/08/2008 4:16:31 PM
i feel sorry for the truckie. he will have to live with this for the rest of his life. Car crash at 3am? sounds like the driver went to sleep.
Posted by charlie, 5/08/2008 4:39:42 PM
This highway needs a serious upgrade, at least between Canberra and Cooma to 4 lanes. I drove on part of this highway each day and it is a nightmare on Friday's and Monday and the weekends with all the ski traffic, and then come summer all the traffic headed for the coast. Stupid risks are taken by stupid people. It seriously needs an upgrade now!
Posted by Rakkii, 5/08/2008 5:04:21 PM
This road needs a serious overhaul. It needs to made 4 lanes. I travel between Canberra and Cooma every second weekend and I fear for my life each time. In winter the ski traffic is unbelievable and I've seen cars try to overtake 10 cars at once, risking a head on collision. There is too much traffic on this road for it to be only a 2 lane highway. Enough is enough!
Posted by Michelle, 5/08/2008 5:10:15 PM
Most of what it needs is some drivers with common sense. Last year I drove on the Monaro highway from Canberra to Cooma twice a week. I've seen a few incidents, and been run off the road by a truck myself. Making the road wider won't stop people driving tired or overtaking in stupid places. The road could be in better condition, for sure, but really its up to drivers to drive to the conditions, and make sure they're in the right condition to drive.
Posted by Emma, 5/08/2008 5:16:18 PM
Doesn't matter how many lanes you throw at it - it comes down to stupid drivers doing stupid things (like speeding, driving while tired or drunk or stoned, etc, etc). Sure European highways leave ours for dead, but look at how many people they have per kilometre of road versus us. That's why our services are of a lower standard. We need better drivers not better roads (or more of them).
Posted by Bruce, 5/08/2008 5:55:24 PM
Why spend the millions and millions to turn a perfectly good road into a motorway? They straightened it and widened it, there's heaps of places to overtake (for competant drivers who can overtake without overtaking lanes) and when it's busy, it's busy and there's no point in overtaking anyway. It's a good road. Too bad so many drivers in their hermetically-sealed loungerooms on wheels forget that some skill from them is still needed.
Posted by AK, 5/08/2008 9:51:11 PM
I drove the hwy northbound moments after opening and witnessed way more than average dangerous and illegal driving actions. The speed limit is 100kmh not the minimum speed!!! RTA, Police & EPA length of total closure (11hours) with no diversion is evidence of gross incompetence and uncooperative management by authorities.
Posted by Bruce1, 6/08/2008 8:00:34 AM

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