Police are searching for a driver who fled the scene of a horrific head-on fatal collision on Hindmarsh Drive late on Thursday night.
A 20-year-old man was killed in the high speed crash which occurred near the intersection of Tamar Street on Hindmarsh Drive around 10.55pm.
Police say the young man killed in the crash was driving home, and an innocent third party in the incident.
His westbound vehicle had been hit by one of the speeding vehicles travelling on the wrong side of the dual lane road, eastbound.
Minutes before the crash, police at the Operations Centre in Belconnen had received a report of two vehicles travelling at high speed in the area and are now actively seeking one of the drivers whom they believe saw the crash but did not stop and render assistance.
Such were the high impact speeds involved that even the arrival of paramedics just minutes after the incident failed to save the man's life. He was extracted from the wreckage with life-threatening injuries but died in hospital.
Police could not confirm at this time whether it was a street racing incident.
The woman driving the car on the wrong side of Hindmarsh Drive and who hit the deceased man's oncoming vehicle head-on is in a critical condition in hospital. She is yet to be interviewed by police.
She was the sole occupant of her vehicle and given the separation of the two dual lanes of traffic would have had to be driving on the incorrect side of the road for some time before the collision occurred.
Police are combing through CCTV and traffic camera footage in the area in an attempt to identify the cars involved.
Hindmarsh Drive is the only road in the ACT with a speed-over-distance traffic camera, and footage from those cameras will form part of the investigation.
Acting Inspector Paul Hutcheson said that the man killed in the crash had been travelling home from work and had not been driving in a dangerous manner.
It is believed he would have had barely seconds before he sighted the speeding car, coming over the crest of the hill, travelling toward him on the wrong side of the road, before the impact occurred.
"It's vitally important we piece together what's happened here," Inspector Hutcheson said.
"A young man has lost his life and another young person is in a critical condition.
"We believe that a third vehicle was involved in the incident and left the scene without stopping to provide any assistance to any injured parties.
"Police would ask anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, and they can provide that information anonymously if they wish to.
"I would like to acknowledge the trauma that this causes to people who observed this collision ... to emergency services workers, to the families and friends of those who suffered injuries and the gentleman who passed away."
