As the number of fatal crashes this year continues to push upwards, an investigation has been launched into the death of a motorcyclist in a collision near Launceston's Seaport on Thursday night.
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Just after 6pm on Thursday, Tasmania Police attempted to intercept the rider of a blue Honda motorcycle shortly before it collided with a Volkswagen station wagon entering Home Point Parade near the Seaport. The rider - a 21-year-old male - died at the scene.
At the time of publication, police had not received permission from the family to release the identity of the deceased, although a GoFundMe page was set up on Friday with the stated aim of supporting the family's funeral costs.
According to Commander Stuart Wilkinson, police were around 100 metres short of the crash site when the two vehicles collided. It remains unclear what stage the traffic lights were on when the rider entered the intersection.
Following the death, an investigation is being undertaken to examine both the initial interception as well as the subsequent collision and death. The investigation is being led by Professional Standards and a report will also be compiled for the coroner.
"We're reviewing the actions of our own police, but at this stage we're very happy that the police actions were appropriate [...] There's no suggestion that police have done the wrong thing in this circumstance," Commander Wilkinson said.
By an interception attempt, Commander Wilkinson clarified that police - who were travelling in a marked police vehicle - activated the emergency red and blue lights and the siren to alert the rider to pull over.
"When the attempt was unsuccessful the emergency equipment was deactivated and shortly after that vehicle was involved in the collision," he added.
When asked, Commander Wilkinson stated that police were not in pursuit of the vehicle when it crashed but also cautioned that the investigation was still ongoing.
This latest road fatality brings the state's tally this year to 14 - compared to just four during the same period last year. However, while the state's road deaths are considerably higher this year than in 2021, the number of serious injuries as of March 31 was down on the previous reporting period - at 67 and 80, respectively - according to data provided by the Department of State Growth.
The fatality on Thursday followed another serious collision on Wednesday at Four Mile Creek which left the driver of a black Subaru sedan with life-threatening chest and head injuries. He was initially treated at the scene and then transported by air ambulance to the Royal Hobart Hospital for treatment. He remains in a critical but stable condition.
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Meanwhile, more details have emerged following a separate motor vehicle accident on Thursday at Elizabeth Town involving Prime Minister Scott Morrison's security detail. The crash involved an unmarked police car that was following the Prime Minister and a Mitsubishi Triton.
While the investigation into the event is ongoing, police said initial enquiries indicate that the Triton had collided with the rear of the police vehicle, while attempting to merge.
At the time of publication, two Tasmania Police officers involved in the crash had been discharged from hospital while two Australian Federal Police officers also involved remain in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
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