A 29-year-old woman has died after her Suzuki SUV collided head-on with a Toyota on the Sturt Highway near Daveyston in South Australia’s Barossa Valley.
The crash happened at about 8.25am on Tuesday, 1 September, after the white Suzuki was seen travelling at speed on the wrong side of the dual carriageway, police said.
Video recorded by another motorist showed the SUV approaching traffic before it struck the blue Toyota. The footage was later edited to remove the impact.
The Suzuki driver, who was from Wallaroo on the Yorke Peninsula, died at the scene. Her identity had not been publicly released, and residents in the town said they were unaware of who she was.
The driver of the Toyota, a 32-year-old woman from Kilkenny, was treated by paramedics before being flown to the Royal Adelaide Hospital. South Australia Police said her injuries were not life-threatening.
Witnesses describe Sturt Highway crash
One motorist, who was travelling near Nuriootpa shortly before the collision, said she had been forced to swerve when the Suzuki came towards her in the wrong direction.
“I was in the right lane, they were in the right lane — just in the wrong direction,” Julia Dorrestyn told 7NEWS.
She said she sounded her horn, braked and pulled in behind a lorry to avoid being hit.
“It was terrifying, just confusion,” she said.
Other motorists stopped to help at the crash scene before emergency services arrived.
South Australia Police urged members of the public not to share the distressing footage, asking them to consider the families and friends of those involved.
Major Crash investigators closed the Sturt Highway for much of the day while they examined the scene and cleared debris.
Police said the death was the 77th recorded on South Australian roads in 2026. The investigation into the circumstances of the fatal crash is continuing.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit information online. Anonymous reports can be made.
