Head-on crash kills man in NW

A MAN has died in a two-car head-on crash in the state’s North-West.

The crash happened on Mersey Main Rd near Latrobe, just before 3.20pm yesterday.

The man, in his 60s, was from nearby Acacia Hills and was the passenger of a blue Ford sedan which collided head-on with a silver Toyota Rav4.

The drivers of both cars were taken to the North West Regional Hospital. The driver of the Ford was last night in a stable but serious condition.

The road was closed for 5½ hours following the crash while investigators documented the scene.

Police said the crash was one of 27 across the state between noon and 9pm yesterday. Most have been attributed to rain and wet roads and police warned motorists to be careful in slippery, wet conditions.

Yesterday’s crash follows another serious crash on Wednesday in the Cradle Mountain area in which a man, 37, was badly hurt when his car rolled.

Yesterday’s crash brings the state’s road toll to three for the year, compared with zero at the same time last year.

Tasmania was the only state with a fatality-free Christmas period.