A devastating crash on the Midland Highway on Monday killed two people, leaving traffic at a standstill for hours while emergency services pieced together what happened.
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Tragedy struck about 2.25pm when a truck and sedan collided on the highway outside Campbell Town, immediately killing the two occupants of the car.
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The double fatality saw the state's road toll climb to 20. It occurred just nine days after another horror smash took the lives of two parents who were visiting Tasmania from Victoria.
The crash scene, which Tasmania Police Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Higgins described as "horrific", completely blocked the highway for about four hours while police investigated the circumstances.
As of Monday evening those investigations were continuing.
Assistant Commissioner Higgins said the driver of the truck had not received any medical assistance but that he could only assume he was "devastated".
He said Monday's crash was a "shocking situation" and called for road vigilance.
"This is a tragic situation, a situation we've been in over the last few weeks with multiple fatalities," he said.
"Sadly this year ... we've lost 20 lives compared to 18 last year, but none is acceptable.
"The simple fact is, in most cases, we're losing people because they're not following the rules."
Assistant Commissioner Higgins said fatal crashes rippled through the entire Tasmanian community as it grappled with how to make sense of the road safety problem.
"Everyone involved in this crash and the crashes previously in the last few weeks ... it has great impact on the whole community, and the loss of lives ... lost to their families," he said.
"We pride ourselves with bringing people into our community, allowing them to travel the state see our sites and our wonderful features in Tasmania.
"We want to make sure all locals and tourists alike are safe, and you will get there safely if you actually follow the rules."
The 20 fatalities recorded on Tasmanian roads so far in 2021 means there has been an average of one fatal crash every 10 days.
This time last year there had been 18 fatalities.
The highest road toll in Tasmania since 2011 has been 36.
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