Long weekend death toll climbs to 10

A man died in a car accident in South Australia on Easter Sunday, bringing the
national toll over the holiday long weekend to 10.
The 20-year-old Peterborough man was a passenger in a car that crashed on East
Terrace, Yongala, in the state's mid-north, about 2.20am (CST) on Sunday.
His death is the second fatality in the state over the Easter period.
The car was carrying five young adults, none of whom were wearing seatbelts, police
said.
The 23-year-old male driver of the car has been charged with dangerous driving,
after he was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital along with a 20-year-old
female passenger.
Their injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.
Police across the country have condemned the actions of drivers who have put
themselves and others at risk over the long weekend.
In NSW, police are searching for two boys, believed to be aged between 14 and 16,
who ran off after an allegedly stolen car crashed in Sydney's west, leaving three
injured girls behind.
Police pursued the stolen Toyota Landcruiser after it was spotted speeding on the M4
about 6.30am (AEST) on Sunday.
The car crashed into a set of traffic lights about five minutes later at Granville.
NSW Police Commissioner John Hartley stressed that police stopped their pursuit of
the stolen car after two minutes due to safety reasons and the accident occurred
five minutes after the chase ended.
Mr Hartley urged motorists travelling home on Monday from Easter breaks to drive
carefully, with more than 10,700 people charged with motoring offences so far over
the Easter long weekend in the state.
Two people have died in car accidents in NSW since the Easter weekend began.
In Victoria, police announced the establishment of a taskforce to focus on catching
and locking up drivers who cause road crashes.
The Centre for Road Policing will be up and running next month, police deputy
commissioner Ken Lay said on Sunday.
It comes after a woman was apprehended by police drink-driving on the wrong side of
the road with her baby in the back seat.
Three people have died in Victoria so far over the Easter weekend.
Across the rest of the country, Queensland, Western Australia and the ACT have each
recorded one road death, bringing the national toll to 10.



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