Harbour Bridge crash: What went wrong
Police have told reporters what happened in the serious car crash that left one woman dead, two men with head injuries and a second woman trapped inside of her car on Thursday morning.
Acting Superintendent Paul Dunstan says that early investigations reveal that a Mitsubishi Mirage travelling north had crossed two lanes of traffic.
The vehicle ended up on the wrong side of the road for a “short time” before slamming into a BMW travelling south.
The cars collided at the Millers Point entrance to the bridge just before 7.15am.
People from both the vehicles were injured in the crash and the Mitsubishi driver was killed.
Traffic was so dense that firefighters had no choice but to walk to the scene carrying life savings equipment.
Wreckage could be seen strewn across the road during peak-hour traffic.
Supt Dunstan said CCTV footage of the incident was “confronting” to watch.
“It would appear at this stage that the vehicle travelling in the northbound direction has crossed two lanes of traffic and collided with the vehicle travelling south which was in its correct lane,” he said.
“I have seen footage of the incident, and that’s how it appears in the early stages.”
The female driver of the Mitsubishi has not been formally identified but reports say she is in her mid 30s.
Her two passengers, both men believed to be in their 30s, have suffered head injuries.
Both have been taken to Royal North Shore Hospital and one remains in critical condition.
The second driver is a woman in her 40s who was trapped left in her BMW.
Later she was taken to St Vincent’s Hospital with “at least” a broken leg, Supt Dunstan said.
A male passenger believed to be with her was taken to Royal North Shore hospital with minor injuries.
“There was a red car smashed, unbelievably, in the front, and I don't know how both of them – the black car and the red car – got over two different angles. But it was a big hit,” a witness informed the Today show.
Supt Dunstan said the lanes of traffic were clearly marked.
However he has noted that the driver might have believed she was driving in the right direction.
The bridge was closed for about three hours on Thursday morning but has since reopened.
Drivers are advised to avoid the area as traffic is still “extremely heavy”.
Inspector Lucky Phrachanh who is duty operations manager at NSW Ambulance, said the scene was horrific”.
“Paramedics and emergency services never want to attend these types of accidents,” he said.
“We say this all the time, but please look out for each other on the roads. Driving any motor vehicle can be extremely dangerous.”