In brief
A minivan flip on South Road, Pearshape, King Island, Tasmania, on Saturday near 4:20 p.m. left ten elderly tourists injured. The Toyota HiAce lost traction on loose gravel, went down an embankment, rolled, and landed on its wheels. Victims were flown to Melbourne and transferred to Hobart, while others received local treatment and were discharged.
In a single‑vehicle rollover on King Island’s South Road, Ten injured commuters—most of whom were elderly mainland tourists—were hospitalized after a Toyota HiAce passenger van skidded on loose gravel, overran a bend, descended an embankment, and overturned. The incident occurred at approximately 4:20 p.m. local time on Saturday, according to a statement released by Tasmania Police.
The vehicle involved was a Toyota HiAce that had been transporting ten visitors from the Australian mainland, whose ages ranged from the mid‑70s to the 80s, according to the Tasmania Police release. The van was on South Road in Pearshape, the southern part of the island, when the crash unfolded.
Following the rollover, emergency crews arranged immediate transportation for the injured. Three of the passengers were flown to hospitals in Melbourne over the course of that Friday evening, while another three were later transferred to the Royal Hobart Hospital. The remaining four victims received treatment at a local hospital on the island and were subsequently discharged.
The police statement indicated that the initial investigations suggested the vehicle failed to negotiate a bend due to a loss of traction on loose gravel. Consequently the van went down an embankment, rolled over, and landed back on its wheels—a sequence that resulted in the injuries suffered by the passengers.
Official reports also noted that the apparently single‑vehicle nature of the incident meant that no other road users were involved, and that no external factors such as wildlife or obstacles were identified as contributing to the crash.
While the incident was described by authorities as a “single‑vehicle crash,” the report stated that investigations were focusing on the vehicle’s handling characteristics on loose gravel and how that could have contributed to the loss of control.
Tasmania Police further confirmed that the vehicles’ path—passing a bend in South Road—was where the traction issue manifested, leading to the rollover. The incident is being examined under the state’s road safety protocols for vehicles carrying older passengers.
Regarding patient management, the statement highlighted that the transport of injured tourists to metropolitan hospitals complied with emergency medical guidelines, and that the division of care between Melbourne, Hobart and local facilities ensured timely treatment for all accident survivors.
As of the latest police update, all ten injured travelers have received medical attention, with some having already been discharged following treatment at the island’s local hospital, confirming that the initial injury severity varied among the victims.
While the event drew local attention, Tasmania Police emphasized that the absence of other roadway participants and the specific dynamics of the vehicle’s loss of traction were primary focus areas for the ongoing investigation.
