The New England Highway was closed in both directions at Moonbi following a serious crash involving a truck and a car, with NSW Police confirming that the male driver of the car died at the scene.
The crash occurred about 2.30pm near the intersection of the New England Highway and Wellington Street, approximately 4 kilometres north of Moonbi. The highway remained shut in both directions while emergency services and police investigators worked at the scene until almost midnight.
Officers attached to Oxley Police District attended and located the B-Double truck carrying cattle overturned.
Multiple agencies attended the scene, including NSW Ambulance, Fire and Rescue crews, Transport for NSW, NSW DPI, a rescue helicopter, and a heavy vehicle tow truck.
The driver of the black Mitsubishi car – a man believed to be in his 30s – was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but died at the scene. He is yet to be formally identified.
The front passenger of the car was treated by paramedics before she was taken to hospital for treatment of serious injuries. The rear passenger, a child, was uninjured and taken to hospital for assessment.
The male driver of the truck was uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.
The truck involved is understood to belong to a well-known Armidale transport company and was carrying 54 head of cattle at the time of the collision. Several animals reportedly broke free following the crash, adding to the complexity of the response. NSW DPI, with the assistance of police, moved the animals to nearby land for assessment, but two animals had to be euthanised.
The badly damaged car and rolled truck remained on site while police investigated until around 9pm, and the road was finally cleared and fully opened by 11.19pm.
Traffic were diverted around the scene with a lengthy detour, including on some dirt roads, again raising concerns about the lack of alternative routes suitable for significant traffic when there is a major incident.
A number of Moonbi locals commented on social media that there has been a large and dangerous pothole on the road near the crash site that may have contributed to the incident, saying it was “only a matter of time” before something bad happened there.
Officers established a crime scene and commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash.
A report on the incident will be prepared for the information of the Coroner. As inquiries continue, anyone with information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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