A woman has died in a crash between a car and a truck in Sydney's south-west on Monday morning, the fifth person to die in vehicle accidents around Sydney and the eighth across the state in just four days.
Police said the woman was a back seat passenger in the car. A number of people were initially reported to be trapped in the wreckage.
Police were still investigating the cause of the crash, which occurred as both vehicles were travelling north on New Illawarra Road at Barden Ridge about 4.30am on Monday, a spokesman said.
Emergency crews attend fatal crash south of Sydney at Barden Ridge. #9News pic.twitter.com/4PfHK0Ne0t— Nine News Sydney (@9NewsSyd) May 15, 2016
The Transport Management Centre said New Illawarra Road initially was closed north-bound at Ella Avenue while emergency service workers were on the scene. Delays were expected throughout the morning.
The woman's death was the eighth on NSW roads since Friday, said Assistant Commissioner John Hartley, from the NSW Police Traffic and Highway Patrol Command.
The NSW road toll stands at 152 for the year, 34 more than at the same time last year.
"This is a chilling statistic when you consider the family, friends and colleagues of the 152 people as their lives have been changed forever by one choice made by a road user," Assistant Commissioner Hartley said.
"Each time we drive, we have choices to make in terms of how fast that vehicle is travelling, whether you are under the influence of alcohol or have used drugs when you take control of the vehicle and ensuring all of your passengers are properly restrained."
Meantime, a man has been charged over a separate crash at Peats Ridge north of Sydney in which two people died.
Police said the 24-year-old man was driving a Toyota Hilux with four passengers about 11.25pm on Friday when the vehicle veered off the road and hit a power pole.
A 63-year-old man and a 16-year-old boy, who were related, died at the scene.
The driver and two other passengers, a 28-year-old woman and 15-year-old boy, were taken to Gosford Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Police on Sunday charged the driver with two counts of dangerous driving occasioning death and negligent driving occasioning death. He was refused police bail and is due to appear at Gosford Local Court on Monday.
The daughter of the man who died in the Peats Ridge crash told Sky News on Friday night that her family did not blame the driver, who was a friend of the family.
The family had spent the night celebrating the opening of their new restaurant in Pyrmont, and were driving from Sydney when the crash occurred.
"We don't blame anyone and of course we don't blame him, this is all in God's hands," she said, speaking outside Gosford Hospital.
"I feel that he's with us right now. I have to be strong for my family."
Two people were killed over the weekend in separate motorbike crashes, police said.
A 22-year-old man's body was discovered in a reserve, near Tennyson Parade in Guildford West, about 6.30am on Sunday. It's believed he crashed his trail bike about 10.30pm on Saturday.
Police said another motorbike rider died on Sunday after a collision with a car in the NSW Southern Highlands.
The 60-year-old man was flown to hospital with critical injuries after the crash in Burrawang, about 10 kilometres east of Moss Vale, on Sunday afternoon. He died in hospital.
The vehicle's driver was not injured and has undergone mandatory blood and urine testing.
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