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Three people have died with two people left in a serious condition following a two-vehicle crash in Tasmania's South.
- Three people, believed to be in their 20s, died as they headed towards Hobart
- Two other people are taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital
- The Tasmania 2022 road toll is the worst in more than a decade
Emergency services were called to the scene at South Arm Highway, Sandford at 5:15pm on Saturday.
"It appears that a vehicle travelling towards Hobart has lost control and gone to the wrong side of the road where it's been struck by another vehicle that was heading in the opposite direction," Inspector Luke Manhood said.
The three people travelling towards Hobart were killed in the crash.
The other two people in the other vehicle have been taken to the Royal Hobart Hospital in a serious condition.
"It's a devastating incident, to lose three lives in one crash is horrendous," Inspector Manhood said.
He said police were still yet to identify some of the deceased who were believed to be in their early twenties.
"It's an absolutely tragic loss of life, every crash is avoidable, we just need people to take more responsibility, more care with their driving."
Asked whether the driver had lost control because the road was dangerous, Inspector Luke Manhood said it didn't appear to be so, however that was a matter for investigation.
Inspector Luke Manhood said Tasmania Police was doubling down its efforts on road safety.
"The road toll this year in 2022 has surpassed the road toll for the previous years and that's something that we need to put a stop to," he said.
Police said traffic was being diverted down Rifle Range Road, Sandford, for southbound traffic and at Gellibrand Drive, Sandford, for northbound traffic.
Earlier this month, the Tasmanian state government launched a road safety action plan, committing over $75 million across 42 initiatives based on crash data and statistics.
2022 is shaping up as the worst year for Tasmanian road deaths in over a decade.