Police are investigating the death of a woman in a car accident south of Tamworth this morning, the fifth in the space of just under two weeks on New England region roads.
Emergency services were called to a single car crash at Goonoo Goonoo, on the New England Highway 23km south of Tamworth, about 11am.
Police said a ute had been travelling northbound when it left the road and crashed through a guardrail, down an embankment and into a creek.
Members of the public helped the driver but she died at the scene.
It is the second crash in the Tamworth district in two days, after a woman in her 60s died after her car struck a tree at Appleby Lane, west of the city, on Tuesday morning.
Peel Highway Patrol Acting Inspector in Charge Clinton Williams said both incidents were under investigation but police suspected fatigue could be a contributing factor.
"We want to send the message out to motorists to take your breaks and to monitor your fatigue," he said.
"Plan your trips and make sure you've had adequate sleep."
Horror fortnight on region's roads
The two fatalities occurred in a horror two weeks for the New England region, with five fatal accidents reported since November 12.
Acting Inspector Williams said police were concerned by the rising road toll and were continuing to maintain a high visibility presence on the region's roads.
"We are out in force, we are trying to do the best we can to encourage road users to be mindful," he said.
"We are concerned with the increase, but with the help of the community and the message getting out to maintain and monitor your fatigue, hopefully we can reduce what appears to be an increase in the local collisions."
There have been 259 people killed on NSW roads between the start of the year and Sunday, compared to 240 deaths during the same period in 2021.
