Police say the two collided on an exit ramp of Gungahlin Drive in Kaleen. Image: ACT Emergency Services Agency/screenshot.
The driver of an Audi has died after being involved in a head-on collision, becoming the ninth person to die on Canberra’s roads.
Late on Friday (5 December), ACT Policing’s Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Brown said that the car was involved in a collision on the slip lane to the Barton Highway from Gungahlin Drive.
“We suspect that the Audi was driving on the wrong side of the slip lane as it came up the hill, and it collided with the truck that was travelling within the normal road rules.”
He said the driver died “on the way to the hospital, or at the hospital”.
Police have not formally identified the man, but they allege he was involved in an armed robbery at a money exchange business earlier in the day.
“We do suspect that he was the driver of that car during the incidents earlier today.”
Police had pursued the Audi in Belconnen.
Detective Acting Superintendent Brown said the truck driver was injured but is in a stable condition.
“The truck driver received injuries to, we think, [his] extremities. He’s quite shaken.”
Shortly after 1 pm today, the ACT Emergency Services Agency asked other motorists to avoid the area following the crash.
An ACT Policing spokesperson said the exit ramp was still closed as at 5:20 pm, but is expected to reopen shortly.
Gungahlin Drive is open in both directions.
Detective Acting Superintendent Anthony Brown said a report will be prepared for the Coroner and asked anyone with information (or dashcam footage) to speak with police.
“We’ll continue to investigate both the criminal aspects of this and the collision. … If anyone else is involved, we will hopefully have criminal charges.”
There were 11 road deaths in 2024.
