Police have confirmed that a male driver aged in his 70s died in a traffic accident at Blackheath today.
An Ambulance NSW spokesman said the accident had occurred on the Great Western Highway about 10.45am – and involved a collision between a truck and a car – the second truck accident in two days.
Inspector Peter Balatincz of Springwood Police said Police Rescue officers from the Upper Mountains, as well as general duties crews, Ambulance officers and NSW Fire Brigade crews attended the accident to try and save the man’s life.
It’s understood the man was trapped in his car and died at the scene. His name or suburb has not yet been released but a statement is expected from Police Media.
Inspector Balatincz told the Gazette it was important for the community to drive to the conditions.
“Drive to survive is important for all motorists,” he said.
“It is very important to keep a safe distance and double that in the wet to give yourself the time to stop to drive to the conditions, which may be less than the posted speed.”
He said this was especially the case in the Upper Mountains where “the fog and the wet” created a “different atmosphere”.
Traffic was blocked in both directions for several hours and there are still some delays.
A man aged between 30 and 40, who was injured in a traffic accident at Springwood yesterday that caused major delays, has been released from Nepean Hospital. Inspector Balatincz said it was “good news … he was lucky and only suffered soft tissue injuries”. Nine others were treated for minor injuries at the scene.
