Crash involving kangaroo leveling man

Crash involving kangaroo leaves man critically injured in Australia
stuff.co.nz Jun 30, 2018 12:02 PM

A driver has been critically injured after being hit by a kangaroo near Lithgow on Friday.
A driver has been critically injured after being hit by a kangaroo near Lithgow on Friday.
A man is in a critical condition in hospital after a crash involving two cars and a kangaroo in Australia on Friday night (local time).

NSW Ambulance said at least 83 car crashes resulting in injuries had involved kangaroos so far this year and warned of an expected sharp rise in that number over winter.

A 19-year-old man was driving down Pipers Flat Road at Portland, in the NSW central west, about 7pm on Friday when his Holden Commodore struck a kangaroo and catapulted it into the path of a Ford Falcon ute travelling in the opposite direction.

The kangaroo smashed into the windscreen of the ute. The driver, a 32-year-old man, lost control of the ute, which then hit a guard rail.
The man sustained serious head injuries. He was treated at the scene by paramedics before being flown by helicopter to Westmead Hospital where he was in a critical condition on Saturday morning.
The occupants of the Holden avoided injury. The kangaroo died at the scene.
Ambulances were called out to 172 crashes involving kangaroos in NSW in 2017, an increase of 48 per cent on the previous year.

Eighty-two incidents were recorded between January and May this year but experts warned of an expected increase, saying that most kangaroo collisions occur in winter. The shorter days means kangaroos are on the move at peak traffic times
The dry conditions and drought also play a significant role, said Sandra Ireson, founding director of rural education program Hay Inc. Its programming includes life-saving "drought driving" lessons to help rural and regional drivers navigate the increase of roos on the road when food is scarce.
"They're always out and about, but because we've had some rain and runoff on the side of the roads, where the green grass is, that brings them out to the edge of the road to get some grass to eat," Ireson said.
While kangaroos are usually on the move at dawn and dusk, feeding on roadside grass during drought means they're likely to hang around throughout the day – "if not quite at the edge of the road then you'll see them in the paddocks as you drive past".

They're also being seen in more places where you'd rarely encounter them before, like the outer suburbs of Canberra.
Ireson said drivers should try to avoid rural roads altogether at dawn and dusk, and drive with a passenger who can help keep a lookout.
NSW Ambulance had similar advice. "Stay alert and slow down, especially at sunrise and sunset when visibility is decreased and animals tend to be more active," a spokesperson said.
"Kangaroos travel in mobs so a kangaroo sighting, including deceased kangaroos on the road, is a sign there may be others nearby. Avoid swerving – it is safer to hit an animal than swerve and lose control of your vehicle."
In April, a motorcyclist died after hitting a kangaroo on the M4 at Claremont Meadows, near Penrith
In November last year a man had a lucky escape in the Hunter region after his ute hit a kangaroo, which smashed through the windscreen and died in the back seat.
"It's estimated that one in seven crashes on country roads involves animals," the ambulance spokesperson said. "Incidents include vehicles losing control and either rolling or colliding with trees and other obstacles, and sudden braking resulting in collisions with other vehicles."
Police are investigating the car crash in Portland.