One day after a high-profile road safety launch, a new Kia Stinger highway patrol car has been involved in a crash.
A 2022 Kia Stinger highway patrol car operated by Tasmania Police has been written-off in a crash – one day after it was launched to spearhead a new road safety campaign in Australia’s island state.
The police car involved in the collision – one of nine new Kia Stingers to join the Tasmania Police highway patrol fleet – was one of the vehicles used for the media event last Thursday.
The Kia Stinger police car was reportedly struck by a following vehicle, after activating its lights and slowing to make a U-turn, after a traffic offence involving an oncoming car was detected.
The police driver was later released from Royal Hobart Hospital after being treated for non-life threatening injuries.
The three occupants of the other car involved – a Mazda wagon – were not injured in the accident.
Brand new highway patrol vehicle crashes two days after police launched new road safety campaign https://t.co/6HrWto9TNY
— ABC News (@abcnews) August 13, 2022
Police say the northbound highway patrol car detected a speeding vehicle travelling south on the Midland Highway near Oatlands, after which point the police car slowed, activated its lights, and started to perform a U-turn.
“The police car appears to have been hit by the vehicle which was travelling behind it on the highway,” Tasmania Police Inspector Grant Twining said in a statement.
Crash investigators, as well as Tasmania Police Professional Standards Unit, are investigating the incident.
“We’re throwing everything we can at making our roads safer, including these brand-new highway patrol vehicles,” Tasmania Police Inspector Gary Williams said on Thursday at the media launch of the new Kia Stinger police cars.
“Talk to your family, talk to your friends, talk to your children, about making the right choices on our roads and make it clear that none of us should be taking risks or thinking we’re above the rules,” Inspector Williams said in the media statement.
“Being ‘a good driver’ is irrelevant. It’s time for everyone to take road safety seriously.”
Tasmania Police crash investigators are appealing for any motorists with dash cam footage of Friday’s crash to come forward.
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