Accident at Camberwell on Friday afternoon.
A MUSWELLBROOK man in his 50s died in an horrific rear-end crash involving two trucks, two utilities and a car in peak hour traffic on the New England Highway at Camberwell on Friday afternoon.
The man’s name was not made public yesterday and the incident remains under investigation.
Police said a low-loader truck carrying four metre wide underground coalmine equipment was heading towards Muswellbrook behind a pilot vehicle at 3.30pm.
The utilities and car, heading towards Singleton, stopped on the highway to allow the low-loader to cross Camberwell Bridge when a smaller truck, heading towards Singleton, made contact with the car. The car was shunted into a utility and then across to the incorrect side of the roadway into the on-coming low-loader.
The low-loader’s steering was affected and the truck’s prime mover crossed to the incorrect side of the road and stopped on the roadside bank near the bridge. The car driver was trapped and died at the scene. The four other drivers underwent mandatory drug and alcohol tests.
No charges have been laid at this stage.
The driver of one the utilities received minor injuries and was taken by ambulance to Singleton Hospital. The highway was blocked for about six hours with traffic diverted down New Lemington Road and the Golden Highway.
A coroner’s report is being prepared and police have asked for anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.