Saturday, Dec 01, 2012
SINGAPORE - An unexpected tragedy struck a Singaporean family of six on a holiday to Tasmania, Australia when the driver lost control of the van and crashed into a tree.
The impact injured five family members and killed a 55-year-old woman seated at the back of the van, Shin Min Daily News reported.
The car accident reportedly happened yesterday at about 1.30pm along the Arthur Highway at Copping in southeast Tasmania.
The six Singaporeans were riding a red sports utility vehicle when the 62-year-old driver turned a corner and somehow lost control of the vehicle.
According to Australian media reports, the van veered into a drain, hit the concrete surface of the drain and slid down a slope before slamming into a tree.
The powerful force of the crash killed the woman at the scene, reports said.
Out of the five people injured, three women aged 46, 50 and 58 were rushed to the Royal Hobart Hospital for treatment.
According to Shin Min, the three are still hospitalised. The driver and his 22-year-old front seat passengers suffered minor injuries.
The hospital told the reporter that the three are awake and in stable condition, but said it is unclear at this moment when they can be discharged.
Tasmania police are currently investigating the incident and are preparing a report for the coroner.
It is believed that the deceased wasn't wearing a seat belt at the time of the accident.
The local police are now looking for the occupants of a black sedan who went to the help of the crash victims but left before the police arrived.
The 5km stretch of road is said to be an accident prone area and the accidents that have occurred there have mostly been relatively serious, Shin Min reported.
