The ACT has recorded its sixth road fatality for this year, after a 16-year-old girl tragically passed away today from injuries sustained in a single car collision on Saturday night (31 October).
The girl was the front seat passenger of an 18-year-old male provisional driver’s car, when it collided with a tree on Longmore Crescent in Wanniassa in wet conditions at about 1.50am.
ACT Policing’s Superintendent Corey Heldon today confirmed ACT Policing’s Major Collision Team were investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
“At this stage we are in the early stages of that investigation, so we don’t have full details just yet,” she said.
“We are waiting to speak to the other occupants of the vehicle and, as you can imagine today, given the female has passed away, we are in the early stages of that investigation.
“Until we have gone through the complexity, we are not sure as to whether there will be charges laid.”
A further two passengers, believed to be teenagers, and the driver were taken to hospital with injuries sustained in the collision, none of which were life threatening.
This death marks an additional two fatalities to the four recorded on ACT roads during 2019.
“Every fatality is one too many for us. The circumstances around this one are quite sad,” Superintendent Heldon said.
“We have lost a young Canberran and her family are devastated as you can well imagine. It’s a difficult time for her family and a difficult time for the staff here too who have been interacting with that family.”
Ms Heldon reminded the community to always drive to the conditions, especially in the rain seen over the weekend.
“We are always saying that it is important for everyone to drive to the conditions. It was terrible weather over the weekend,” she said.
“All we can do is stress, drive to your capabilities and drive to the conditions on the road. We can’t say that enough, I think.”
Anyone with further information or dash-cam footage from around the time of the collision is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or via the Crime Stoppers ACT website. Quote reference 6663279.
