NSW Police say issuing fines and seizing vehicles is a far better outcome than "knocking on the front door of a home late at night to inform a family that they have lost a loved one" after a horror weekend on the state's roads.
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The renewed pleas come following the death of a 69-year-old woman in a fatal car crash involving two cars on the Mitchell Highway on Sunday.
That fatality was one of eight on NSW roads this October long weekend.
Orana Mid-Western Police District and the Crash Investigation Unit are continuing to look into how two cars collided outside of Geurie on Sunday.
The crash claimed the life of the elderly woman and resulted in the hospitalisation of two other people.
With the number of crashes climbing, commander of traffic and highway patrol and acting NSW assistant police commissioner Trent King issued a plea for motorists and road users to "please slow down and obey road rules".
Speaking in Penrith on Monday, assistant police commissioner King said the tragic loss of three more lives in road crashes in a shocking 24-hour period is "three too many".
Despite the growing road toll, day-in and day-out we continue to stop and book drivers for speeding, using their mobile phone, drink or drug driving, and for not wearing a seatbelt.
- Acting NSW assistant police commissioner Trent King
"I am pleading with all NSW motorists and road users ... please slow down, obey the road rules, drive to the conditions and be aware of your surroundings, including other road users," he said.
"Every day, we are forced to hand out fines, suspend licences and seize the vehicles of those who seem happy to put road-users' lives at risk.
"We much prefer taking these actions than we do knocking on the front door of a home late at night to inform a family that they have lost a loved one."
The road toll continues to climb across NSW since the start of Operation Labour Day on Friday, 30 September 2022 and which concludes Monday night, 3 October.
"Despite the growing road toll, day-in and day-out we continue to stop and book drivers for speeding, using their mobile phone, drink or drug driving, and for not wearing a seatbelt," Mr King said.
Three of those fatal crashes occurred in less than 24 hours on Sunday.
A 22-year-old man died at the scene, at Burrumbuttock, 30 kilometres northeast of Albury, when his vehicle, a Ford Falcon, hit a tree between 1am and 8am on Sunday.
At around 3.20pm on Sunday, emergency services responded to reports of a two-vehicle crash on the Kings Highway, at Bungendore. A 17-year-old male driver of a Nissan X-Trail died at the scene.
The other driver, a 71-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife, were trapped in their Toyota Kluger before they were freed from the vehicle a short time later.
Police said they both suffer fractures and are both in stable condition at Canberra Hospital.
The accident at Geurie happened at about 4.15pm on Sunday, with emergency services attending to a two-vehicle crash at Mitchell Highway about 30km southeast of Dubbo.
The driver, a 69-year-old woman has died at the scene. Her passenger, a 69-year-old male, suffered serious injuries and flown to John Hunter Hospital.
The 71-year-old female driver of the second vehicle was flown to Liverpool Hospital with serious injuries.
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Elizabeth Frias
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
I began my news reporting days in western and inner west Sydney before joining the Daily Liberal's Dubbo NSW newsroom. Telling all sorts of stories about people, places and events is my daily preoccupation so email me at elizabeth.frias@austcommunitymedia.com.au and I'll be in touch!
