Eight adults and two children were taken to hospital overnight following a multiple-vehicle crash which blocked the M1 at Cowan for three hours, NSW Police say.
Shortly before 10pm today, police and emergency services were called to the northbound lane of the M1, south of the Hawkesbury River Bridge, after seven vehicles were involved in the crash.
It’s believed three vehicles travelling north – a Toyota MR2, a Subaru Liberty and a Mazda Tribute – were involved in the initial crash. As a consequence of that initial crash, four more vehicles – a Toyota RAV4, a VW Golf .a Mercedes Benz and a Toyota Hilux – were also impacted.
The driver of the MR2, a 66-year-old man, sustained chest and head injuries; he was taken to Royal North Shore in a critical condition; his condition is now stable.
A 22-year-old man, driving the Liberty, sustained hip injuries. Of his three passengers: a 27-year-old woman, has a broken leg, an 18-year-old man has suspected spinal injuries, and a 15-year-old boy has a broken collarbone.
The driver of the Tribute, a 58-year-old woman from Gorokan, sustained a chest injury.
The driver of the RAV4, a 63-year-old woman from Copacabana, escaped injury.
The driver of the Golf, a 50-year-old man from Woy Woy, was taken to hospital with chest pain; a 47-year-old passenger is being checked for chest and neck injuries; while a 13-year-old girl has been
treated for bruising.
The injured were taken to variety of hospitals, including Royal North Shore, Gosford, Westmead and The Children’s Hospital.
The driver of the Mercedes, a 63-year-old woman from Morisset Park, escaped serious injury.
The driver of Hilux, a 42-year-old man from South Australia, escaped serious injury.
The cause of the crash is yet to be determined.
M1 northbound lanes were closed for three hours; traffic was diverted onto the Old Pacific Highway, Berowra.
Officers from the Crash Investigation Unit attended and are currently investigating the circumstances surrounding the crash.
Police are urging anyone with information in relation to the crash to contact police via Crime Stoppers.
