Tragedy on the Highway: Three Lives Lost in Horrific Head-On Crash Near Monga

It’s the kind of news that makes you put down your morning chai and just stare out the window. Another horrific crash on the highway. This time, just south of Queanbeyan, near the little locality of Monga, three people have died in a head-on collision. You hear the sirens, you see the helicopters, and your heart sinks because you know it’s going to be bad. And it was. Three families left devastated on a stretch of road we all know too well.

This Morning’s Grim Reality Check

I was half-listening to the chatter on a local radio show earlier—Tuesday, the 20th of October, not that dates matter much when you’re talking about lives lost—and the presenters were taking calls. Almost every local who called in had a story about this highway. A near-miss with a logging truck. A friend who went off near the bends. It’s become part of the local lore around here. But this morning wasn’t about near-misses. Police have confirmed that two vehicles collided head-on in conditions that, frankly, weren’t even that bad. It’s a stark reminder that this highway doesn’t need rain or fog to turn deadly; sometimes, a split second of misjudgement is all it takes.

A Road Under the Microscope for Decades

Look, this isn’t news to anyone who’s spent a few winters here or driven down for a weekend trip. The ACT Access Roads: Supplementary Volume—that thick report they keep in the council offices—has pages and pages of crash data analysis dedicated solely to this highway. If you’ve ever looked into that data, the numbers jump out at you. It’s not just a road; it’s a statistical anomaly. The volume of traffic, the mix of locals in their vehicles and tourists in caravans, the tight sections where the trees come right up to the edge—it’s a recipe that’s been brewing trouble for years. The crash analysis basically confirms what we’ve all been saying at the local adda: this road punishes mistakes harder than most.

It’s Not Just This Highway – Known Black Spots

And it’s not isolated. If you look at the broader network, you see the same patterns on other stretches that demand respect. Places like:

• Avenue P – a straight stretch that tricks people into speeding, but with intersections that have claimed more than their fair share.
• Beebe Bridge – the approaches there can be deceptive, especially when the sun’s in your eyes or the road is slippery.
• This highway itself, obviously, particularly the winding sections around Monga and beyond towards Batemans Bay.

These aren’t just dots on a map; they’re spots where people like us have said a silent prayer after watching someone try a risky overtake.

What Now for the Highway?

After a tragedy like this, the talk inevitably turns to upgrades. More barriers, better signage, maybe even a few more overtaking lanes. And sure, we need all that. The crash data analysis in that ACT Access Roads volume has been recommending safety improvements for years. But the truth is, you can’t engineer out every risk. You can’t concrete over human error. What you can do is pay attention. Slow down. And remember that every time you head up that highway, you’re driving on a road that doesn’t forgive. My heart goes out to the families of the three people who won’t be coming home. Let’s hope their loss serves as a wake-up call for the rest of us.