From CT, bus involved appears to be 354
QuoteA ''TERRIBLE day'' on Canberra's roads has left two people dead and police fearing that the ACT is on track for its worst road toll in recent memory.In the space of just 40 minutes, two people lost their lives in separate accidents on local roads yesterday.
Just before 9am, a 35-year-old motorcycle rider from Kingston was killed instantly when his Harley Davidson collided with a tradesman's ute at the intersection of Canberra Avenue and Ipswich Street, Fyshwick.
Less than an hour later a 49-year-old Richardson man was killed instantly when his white Holden ute veered on to the wrong side of the road and crashed head-on into an Action bus.
There were no skid marks at the scene on Erindale Drive, Wanniassa, leading police to believe that a momentary lapse in concentration cost the driver his life.
His body was trapped in the wreckage, forcing emergency services to cut him free before he could be identified. None of the bus's five passengers aged from 13 to 49 was injured, but the driver was taken to Canberra Hospital suffering shock.
The accidents prompted pleas from police and motorcycle riders for drivers to be more aware.
ACT Policing acting superintendent Stephen Cooke called on drivers not to be complacent, calling Saturday a ''terrible day'' for road safety.
''To have two people killed within 40 minutes is particularly traumatic and that brings our road toll to 17 so far this year.
''Our worst road toll in recent times is 25 in 2005 and if we keep going like this we're not only going to meet that, we're going to exceed it by quite a bit.''
Superintendent Cooke said the community needed to be more aware while on the roads.
''I don't think it's any secret that the cause of collisions generally is due to driver error,'' he said.
The Sunday Canberra Times understands the motorcycle rider was on his way to work at Robbo's Motorcycles in Fyshwick, less than a kilometre from where he died.
Motorcycle Riders Association ACT spokesman Pete Major saw the accident scene on his way to visit Robbo's and was forced to deliver the bad news to the close-knit team. ''The mood at Robbo's was extremely sombre,'' he said.
''These are tough blokes and they were moved to tears.
''They are going to be seeking counselling for staff that want it.''
Mr Major begged drivers to be on the lookout for motorcycle riders.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/fatal-crashes-take-a-terrible-toll/1888351.aspx (http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/fatal-crashes-take-a-terrible-toll/1888351.aspx)
BEFORE ANYONE THINKS ABOUT REPLYING; NO SPECULATING, NO POINTING THE FINGER, ETC
I drove past the Fyshwick accident scene about 1530 and they were just loading the bike onto a tow truck.
Was wondering what was going on when I was heding home from work, as I saw a fire truck leaving the scene at Fyshwick (It had turned off its lights when it reached the Monaro Hwy, so I thought it was attending a call at the AMC again).
Have now locked this thread.