A tragic accident claimed the lives of two passengers when their vehicle lost control, overturned, and came to rest on its roof.

Six other individuals, including the driver, were swiftly transported to the hospital via both road and air ambulance services.

The small town of Tarlee is grappling with this latest tragedy, just weeks after another fatal accident, as part of a disturbing trend of incidents across the state during the holiday season.

“We’ve recently faced a similar tragedy in our community, impacting a family deeply, and we understand the profound heartache it brings,” shared local resident Michelle Warner.

“It’s heartbreaking, particularly for the families and individuals directly affected,” she added.

Residents have long expressed concerns about the highway’s safety, noting it is a crucial route primarily for trucks, and have been advocating for necessary safety improvements for years.

“I’ve lived here for 90 years, just about, but the roads, there’s not enough spent on them for the amount of traffic that’s being used with heavy trucks and things these days,” Gavin Dunn said.

“There are some really bad black spots, bumps in the road,” Warner said.

“I’ve followed caravans up the road jumping over the bumps behind the vehicles.”

The highway remained closed for most of the day, with the Tarago towed from the scene this afternoon.

With the fatal crash bringing SA’s 2025 road toll to 87 lives lost, emergency services have urged road users to plan their journeys safely in the new year.

“All of the major contributors to road trauma you can control, so plan your trip, take responsibility, keep us all safe on the road,” SA Police assistant commissioner Stuart McLean said.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined.