The Courier

Two crashes within 12 hours bring timely black ice warnings

Two crashes within 12 hours bring timely black ice warnings
Two crashes within 12 hours bring timely black ice warnings

IT’S been a mostly cloudy winter, but clear and cold conditions over the next couple of days could produce some of the worst black ice conditions of the season.

After two serious crashes in the last 24 hours, one which claimed the life of a man at Smythesdale on Monday night and another which saw a man airlifted with critical head and chest injuries after a crash at Allendale on Tuesday morning, police are warning motorists to be aware of conditions when they get behind the wheel.

The forecast over the coming days will see overnight minimums drop to zero or less, with Wednesday expected to see possibly the coldest morning of the year. 

Two crashes within 12 hours bring timely black ice warnings
Two crashes within 12 hours bring timely black ice warnings

Creswick Leading Senior Constable Simon Barker, who attended the Allendale crash on Tuesday morning, said while black ice was not the cause of the early morning crash, he said it was a timely reminder for motorists to drive to the conditions.

“We haven’t had any black ice this year as yet, but particularly around the Daylesford region, we do see it quite a lot,” Leading Senior Constable Barker said.

The man involved in the Allendale crash is understood top have veered onto the wrong side of the road, with the cause still being investigated.

The crash comes just hours after a man was killed in a head on crash at Smythesdale.

Major Collision Investigation Unit are investigating the crash which happened about 6.45am.

It is believed a silver Toyota utility was travelling west on Sebastopol-Smythesdale Road when it veered in to the path of an oncoming vehicle, a white Holden utility, near Incolls road.

The sole occupant of the Holden utility, died at the scene.

The driver of the silver Toyota was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined.

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