Horrific day as two die on roads
TWO people died during a horror day on Tasmania’s roads yesterday.
A 55-year-old woman was killed after her car and a Metro bus collided in Launceston about 9.30am.
And about 3pm a 92-yearold man was killed in a crash between two vehicles on Evandale Rd at Western Junction.
Tasmania Police Constable Michael Rybka said that in the Launceston crash a woman’s Hyundai collided with a bus on Queechy Hill on Penquite Rd.
The woman, who was the sole occupant of the Hyundai, was freed from her car by Tasmania Fire Service crews using rescue equipment.
She was taken to the Launceston General but died upon arrival.
The bus driver was treated at the scene by Ambulance Tasmania for shock and underwent a blood test at the hospital in relation to the crash.
At the time of the crash the bus had one adult passenger, who was not injured.
Tasmania Police crash investigators, forensic police and a transport inspector attended.
The site was closed for about two hours.
A report is being prepared for the coroner.
The deaths took the state’s road toll to 12, compared with 22 at the same stage last year.
Police also responded to a tanker leaking liquid oxygen that was blamed for a serious hazmat incident that blocked a remote section of the Lyell Highway.
Fire crews from Gretna, Bridgewater and Hobart were alerted to a chemical spill on the highway near Rosegarland yesterday about 10am.
The tanker had leaked a large amount of liquid oxygen which had iced up the truck’s wheels.
Police closed the highway and fire crews set up a 100m exclusion zone for public safety.
Firefighters liaised with BOC Gas representatives who were on the scene repairing the leaking valves.
“The leak was caused by the cold weather in the area affecting the valves on the tanker,’’ a TFS spokesman said.
The scene was made safe and the truck left once the repairs were completed.
No one was injured during the incident.
Traffic was diverted to Glenora Rd during the emergency.
The incident came just days after emergency services conducted a hazmat exercise at South Hobart.
The Tasmania Fire Service warned residents around Cascade Brewery on Monday that an exercise was under way and they should not be concerned.
Also yesterday, police and emergency services responded to a report of a two vehicle crash involving a vehicle and a truck on Poatina Rd, about 20km from Poatina towards Arthurs Lake, about 5pm.