A 62-YEAR-OLD man from Dromedary is dead and a 35-year-old woman is in a serious condition after a car crash at Bridgewater on Monday.
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The man’s death occurred in one of a reported 28 car crashes across the state, on a day that saw one of Tasmania’s heaviest snow events in decades.
The man was the only occupant of a silver Nissan Patrol 4WD station wagon, which was travelling west and crashed head-on into a black Ford Falcon sedan driven by the woman, who is from Conningham. She was the only person in the Falcon.
The crash took place about 12.30pm on Boyer Road on a straight section of the road.
At the time the road was wet, but it was not believed to have been raining.
The woman remains at Royal Hobart Hospital. The man died at the scene.
Boyer Road was closed for more than three hours while police conducted an investigation.
Elsewhere, a couple endured a nightmarish 24-hour wait for rescue crews – buried under deep snow in the their car in the Mount Field National Park.
A failed attempt to use a helicopter and snow ploughs on Monday afternoon forced rescuers to travel by foot to the scene.
They were eventually rescued about 6pm by a ground crew, with the assistance of a road contractor and were reported to be in in good health.
‘‘While searching for the couple and their vehicle, the [helicopter] crew located another car stuck in snow. However, those occupants are well-prepared and wanted to stay with their car,’’ police said.
Tasmania Police experienced one of their busiest days in decades on Tasmanian roads, with 23 crashes recorded statewide before midday on Monday.
Most of the incidents occurred in the state’s North – particularly in the Meander Valley and Northern Midlands – but were minor.
The most severe included an early morning car rollover at Breadalbane. The driver suffered minor injuries.
Breadalbane’s Micra Accident Repair Centre had their busiest day ever, with eight vehicles booked into the shop for repairs.
At least six of the vehicles were booked in due to ice-related crashes, said client manager Ric Rushton.
There were also dozens of road closures across the state on Monday, mostly in the state’s North-West, Central Highlands and South.
Tasmania Police Inspector Gary Williams said he had not seen such a dangerous winter event in years.
‘‘I don’t think we’ve had this sort of event for a long time. I can only recall about three times in 20 years,’’ he said.
‘‘It’s vitally important for people to drive to the conditions. The less people on the roads the better.’’
Police are gearing up for another icy day on Tuesday and Wednesday, with yet another cold front expected to hit the state.