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Elderly couple survive rollover on Albany Highway

Headshot of Kellie Balaam
Kellie BalaamGreat Southern Herald
The rolled car.
Camera IconThe rolled car. Credit: Cranbrook police

An elderly couple were lucky to escape serious injury after their car and caravan rolled on Albany Highway near Cranbrook.

The accident prompted a reminder from police about the dangers of towing caravans.

The couple, both in their 70s, were involved in the rollover on Albany Highway, 2km south of the Tunney Roadhouse in Cranbrook on Monday morning.

The vehicle was travelling south on Albany Highway about 10.30am when it moved on to the gravel on the left-hand side of the road, lost control, and rolled into bush.

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Crash aftermath.
Camera IconCrash aftermath. Credit: Cranbrook police

An RAC rescue helicopter flew the couple to Bunbury Hospital for further observation.

The woman was airlifted to Royal Perth Hospital and the man yesterday remained in a stable condition in Bunbury.

“Unfortunately an incident like this is fairly common, caravans are quite heavy and they can catch the wind,” Cranbrook police officer-in-charge Sgt Laurie Seaton said.

“Some people don’t have a lot of experience towing caravans. You have to get the weight balance right and drive to the appropriate conditions, otherwise it can become unstable.”

Sgt Seaton said the crash was also a timely reminder to fit a cargo barrier to vehicles to prevent the possibility of dangerous projectiles.

A wheel brace was dislodged.
Camera IconA wheel brace was dislodged. Credit: Cranbrook police

He said the elderly couple were lucky not to be seriously injured by a projectile in Monday’s crash.

“In a rollover anything can become a deadly projectile, a cargo barrier is a metal barrier between the rear passenger seats and the cargo area so in a head-on collision or rollover, anything from the back can’t become a projectile and roll around the car,” Sgt Seaton said.

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