Four killed in Canberra crash as Easter break gets off to deadly start

Four people have died and a major highway out of Canberra has been closed in a fatal start to the Easter long weekend on the roads.

It brings the death toll on the roads to at least eight in two days amid wild weather and stormy conditions.

About 6.45am, two cars carrying two people in their 50s and three men in their 20s collided in heavy rain on the Barton Highway, halfway between the ACT and the New South Wales town of Murrumbateman.

A 54-year-old female driver and a 54-year-old male front passenger of a Mitsubishi ute died at the scene, as did the male driver and male passenger of a Ford Ranger.

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Another male passenger in the Ford was treated on the scene and is in hospital in a critical condition. All three were believed to be aged in their 20s.

Emergency services from the ACT and NSW – including three rescue helicopters – arrived shortly after the collision and worked to cut people out of their cars.

NSW assistant commissioner Tracy Chapman said multiple deaths in one accident was “horrific” and her thoughts were with family, friends and the community.

She said it was her understanding some of the passengers who lost their lives were locals.

The highway, a major thoroughfare between Canberra and the Hume Highway, reopened on Friday afternoon.

Traffic conditions have returned to normal.

“We urge drivers to follow the rules, the message is pretty simple. Drive to the speed limit, drive to the conditions, don’t drive while under the influence of drugs and alcohol, certainly have a plan B if you are intending to drink,” Chapman said.

“Focus on the road and not your phones. That is the message we need motorists to hear to make sure that we have an incident-free weekend.”

It brings the road fatality in NSW to six in the past two days after the death of a 22-year-old man in a single-car crash in Sydney’s north west yesterday afternoon and the loss of a motorcycle driver’s life this morning near the Blue Mountains.

About 9.30am, emergency services attended Waterfall Way, about 30km west of Dorrigo after a car and motorcycle collided. The motorcyclist died at the scene, while the driver, a 23-year-old man, was uninjured and taken to hospital for mandatory testing.

More than 1,700 infringements have been issued in NSW since yesterday when police presence ramped up over Easter, including 39 drunk drivers and 69 drug drivers.

Travellers across the east coast of Australia are battling heavy rainfall and hazardous conditions today, with a severe thunderstorm warning in place for large parts of NSW from Lismore in the north to Albury in the south.

The Bureau of Meteorology warned a trough moving across the state was causing severe thunderstorms, high winds and hail which could lead to flash flooding in Orange, Katoomba, Canberra, Goulburn, Yass and Wagga Wagga.

Amid the rain, millions of Australians are expected to hit the airport and roads today as the Easter weekend begins.

Related: Storms to lash eastern Australia on Good Friday as Melbourne set for coldest Easter Sunday in decades

Late Thursday, Good Friday and Easter Monday are traditionally the busiest times to be on the road, with delays expected on major highways and motorways.

In Tasmania, one woman has died after a two-vehicle crash on the Arthur Highway at Copping this morning.

A female passenger in a white sedan was pronounced dead at the scene, while the driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.

A female driver in a Camry sedan and her female passenger were also transported to hospital with minor injuries, while an infant travelling in the car was uninjured.

The highway has since reopened following inquiries by crash investigators.

In Queensland, the road death toll has risen to four in five days after a 66-year-old pedestrian in Marsden was struck by a car while crossing the road yesterday. She died at the scene.

Queensland police have been urging motorists to drive safely this Easter long weekend after charging more than 340 people with drink and drug driving offences these school holidays.

Amid the wild weather, a father and his teen son were rescued from the Walls of Jerusalem National Park around 140km northwest of Hobart this morning after their tent flooded during the night.

A personal locator beacon was activated at around 3am but poor conditions and heavy rain prevented helicopter and police access to the bushwalkers until 8.40am. They were found uninjured and transported out of the park to their car.