A five-year-old boy has died and a 15-year-old girl is in critical condition following a three-car crash on the Riddoch Highway near Nangwarry, about 400km southeast of Adelaide, on Sunday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the scene at 2.40pm after a black Holden sedan collided with an emu. The female driver of the Holden was uninjured. A grey Toyota station wagon braked to avoid the collision, but a white Nissan ute crashed into the rear of the Toyota.
The five-year-old boy, a passenger in the Toyota, died at the scene. The 15-year-old girl, also in the Toyota, was taken to hospital with critical injuries. The driver of the Toyota, a 42-year-old man, and three other passengers—a 46-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl, and a six-year-old boy—were taken to hospital with minor injuries. All occupants of the Toyota were from Mount Gambier.
The driver of the Nissan, a 22-year-old man from Worrolong, was not injured but was taken to hospital as a precaution. Major Crash officers are investigating the incident. The boy's death marks the 71st life lost on South Australian roads in 2024. Road closures remain in place for most of the evening.
