A 19-year-old man has died overnight, with another two people taken to hospital after three vehicles crashed on a major highway in Tasmania.
Ambulance ramping has reached a crisis point in Tasmania, prompting calls for an urgent summit to address the matter.
New data has revealed over 47 per cent of all ambulances at the Royal Hobart Hospital were ramped on arrival from 2022 to 2023.
All three vehicles, with a single driver in each, were travelling along the Bass Highway in Latrobe near Tasmanian Freight Services at 7.30pm on Sunday when the accident occurred.
The major highway connects the three cities across the north of the state – Burnie, Devonport and Launceston.
A 19-year-old man from Devonport has died following a three-vehicle crash on the Bass Highway on Sunday night. Picture: Nikki Davis-Jones
Emergency services raced to the scene where the 19-year-old suffered critical injuries and was transported to Mersey Community Hospital.
He died overnight as a result of his injuries.
A 26-year-old man from Launceston was also taken to Mersey Community Hospital where he was treated for “minor injuries”.
A 17-year-old man from Latrobe was transported to the Launceston General Hospital where he remains in a “serious but stable condition.”
Sky News host Jenna Clarke says a Tasmanian Labor government will boost funding to regional and rural hospitals to help ease the pressures on swamped emergency departments.
Police said the cause of the crash remains under investigation, however wet weather is believed to be a contributing factor.
“The full circumstances and cause of the crash remain under investigation, however, at the time there was a significant downpour which is believed to be a contributing factor,” police wrote in a statement on Monday.
The Bass highway will be closed for an hour at 1pm on Monday to allow investigators to examine the scene of the crash.
Traffic will be diverted via Latrobe and Frankford road.
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Police have expressed their deepest condolences to the families and friends of those involved in the crash.
“Our thoughts are with the family and loved ones of those involved in the crash,” the statement continued.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash camera footage is urged to contact Tasmania Police on 131 444 and quote job number 320-18062023.
A report will be prepared for the coroner.