A man died on Wednesday evening after a truck went off Jamberoo Mountain Road, south of Wollongong, New South Wales, and rolled onto its roof, according to Fire and Rescue Illawarra Superintendent Daniel Pridham. Two other occupants sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to hospital.
Man dies in truck rollover on restricted mountain road south of Wollongong
A man died on Wednesday evening after a truck went off Jamberoo Mountain Road, south of Wollongong, New South Wales, and rolled onto its roof, according to Fire and Rescue Illawarra Superintendent Daniel Pridham. Two other occupants sustained serious injuries and were airlifted to hospital.
Emergency services arrived at the scene just before 6pm on Wednesday to find the truck had rolled and come to rest on its roof, Superintendent Pridham said. The man who died, believed to be in his 20s, was treated by paramedics but could not be saved. He had not been formally identified at the time of reporting.
The two survivors, also described as being in their 20s, were flown by aeromedical helicopter to St George Hospital and Liverpool Hospital respectively. The patient at St George Hospital was reported to be in a stable condition.
Superintendent Pridham described the rescue as a 'true multi-agency' operation and noted that community members, including an off-duty Fire and Rescue station officer, were first on scene to provide initial assistance.
A NSW Police spokesperson described the truck involved as a 'heavy, rigid truck' and said police would investigate whether it should have been on the road. A sign at the road's entrance bans any vehicle over 10 metres in length or 12 tonnes in weight.
Jamberoo Mountain Road is a winding route with numerous hairpin turns and is one of two main connections between the Southern Highlands and the South Coast. Major works are currently under way on the road, which is closed between 9am and 4pm, with only one lane open overnight.
The crash is the latest in a series of incidents on the road. Last month, two men were injured after another truck went over the road's guardrails. In 2005, a bus crash on the same road killed two people and left 20 injured. Superintendent Pridham said there was 'a long history, going back a decade or more, with passenger vehicle accidents' on the route.
Kiama Deputy Mayor Melissa Matters said night works were also under way approximately 15 kilometres south on Macquarie Pass, the other Southern Highlands connection, and urged drivers detouring via Jamberoo to observe the heavy vehicle restrictions posted at the road's entrance.
- The identity of the man who died has not been confirmed.
- The current condition of the survivor taken to Liverpool Hospital is not reported.
- The reason the truck was on the road despite the posted restrictions has not been established.
- Transport for NSW had been contacted for comment but had not responded at the time of publication.
- The nature and scope of any planned or funded safety upgrades beyond current roadworks is not detailed.
- Whether the truck involved last month was also subject to the same vehicle restrictions is not stated.
Read the original at ABC News Australia