A 20-year-old woman has died and three others are in hospital after a car hit a power pole in northern New South Wales.
Emergency services were called to Coramba Road in Karangi, north-west of Coffs Harbour about 10:45pm yesterday.
The vehicle was flipped by the impact and two people were trapped in the wreckage.
Coffs-Clarence Police District Commander Superintendent Joanne Schultz said the four young people were local to the area.
“Tragically, one of the people in that vehicle died at the scene and [three] other passengers are injured, one seriously,”
she said.
A 20-year-old woman remains in a serious but stable condition suffering leg and pelvic injuries, while a 16-year-old boy and a 21-year-old man are in a stable condition at Coffs Harbour Hospital.
The 21-year-old driver will undergo mandatory testing.
Superintendent Schultz said police were yet to determine what caused the crash.
“Those things will be part of the investigation, whether … they were at some sort of speed, or the conditions were really treacherous,” she said.
“It was heavy rain at the time as well.
“It’s an awful scene for police to go to and all first responders. We’ve got a lot of young police going out on jobs to support the community, going to jobs, whether they be traumatic or otherwise, so we will provide our support to them.”
Superintendent Schultz said the road was likely to remain closed for several hours as forensic crash crews investigated the scene.
An Essential Energy spokesperson said crews were working to restore access to the area as traffic at Upper Orara Road and Coramba Road remains blocked.
Nine homes lost power overnight due to the crash.
One lane of traffic is expected to reopen around midday.
“Repairs, including the full replacement of a power pole, are ongoing and expected to continue until mid-afternoon,” the spokesperson said.
“Due to poor visibility and wet weather conditions, reopening one lane to traffic at the intersection … has been delayed.”
There are detours available for motorists travelling from Coffs Harbour, but delays are expected to add one hour of travel time.
People are urged to avoid the area and share any information about the crash with police.