Three people – including two Chinese tourists – have been killed in a horror accident on Western Australia’s Indian Ocean Drive.
Police say three vehicles – including a LandCruiser towing a camper trailer – were involved in the crash, which happened on Sunday afternoon about 15 kilometres north of Lancelin.
WA Police Commander Scott Higgins told the ABC that a Toyota Hilux travelling north veered from its lane and clipped a camper trailer being towed by a Toyota LandCruiser that was travelling south. The impact caused the trailer to flip, and the Hilux continued on the wrong side of the road where it crashed head-on with a minibus that was also travelling south.
The driver of the Hilux, a 66-year-old man from WA, died at the scene.
The minibus had been carrying Chinese tourists. One of the tourists died at the scene, while another died later in hospital. Nine survivors were taken to hospital. None had non-life-threatening injuries. The sole occupant of the LandCruiser was not hurt.
“We’re still examining the scene, but it appears that there was a slight bend and where this crash happened was just where the bend was straightening up,” Commander Higgins told the ABC. “It appears for just this moment the Hilux veered out of the lane into the southbound lane. It doesn’t appear as if he was trying to overtake.”
Commander Higgins said it didn’t seem as if there had been much slowing down, and that the vehicles hit each other at very high speed.
The Indian Ocean Drive was built to provide a scenic coastal road between Perth and WA’s Mid West region. The ABC reports that it has been the scene of dozens of serious crashes since it opened in 2010, a number of which have been fatal.
Not a fan at all of the centre line rope barriers but it does seem that if people can’t play properly the rope barriers along this section or road may be needed.
Terrible news
Driven this road many, many times – speed is the problem and people not experienced experienced in country conditions
Have travelled the road many times. The road is good but some drivers can be very impatient. The impatience is what causes the problem.
We travelled this road the previous year – the day after another fatal accident. We were travelling south towing our caravan and along this stretch of highway three cars overtook us over double white lines. There is NOTHING wrong with the road unfortunately it is the users.