A fatal crash on Monday afternoon that claimed an elderly man's life has raised questions from some Port Stephens residents about whether two broken signs propped up at a busy Tea Gardens intersection have created a dangerous blind spot.
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Transport for NSW says it is conducting a safety review, as it would after any fatal crash on a state road.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner after the crash, which took place on the Pacific Highway at the intersection of Myall Way about 4.50pm.
A Suzuki Jimny and a Hino rigid tabletop truck collided as the Jimny was turning from the highway onto Myall Way.
The driver of the Suzuki, a 90-year-old man, died at the scene.
The 24-year-old truck driver returned a negative breath-test and was taken to hospital for mandatory blood and urine testing.
Two steers being carried by the truck escaped injury, police said.
But the tragedy has led to some in the Port Stephens community questioning the safety of the intersection, particularly with regard to two signs propped up near the turning bay.
Port Stephens MP Kate Washington said yesterday she had been made aware of the concerns and planned to raise them with the state's road authority.
The Newcastle Herald understands the signs came down in a crash in the early months of this year and have not yet been fixed - but are expected to be mended in the coming weeks.
Long-time Tea Gardens resident Ian Mackenzie-Smith said he noticed about a week ago that someone had propped the signs up, with the apparent intention of making them visible to passing drivers.
But Mr Mackenzie-Smith said it had created a blind spot for people turning onto Myall Way who were watching for southbound traffic.
He believed the blind spot would not have existed if the sign was properly fixed.
A Transport for NSW spokesperson said safety was "at the heart" of everything the agency did and a review into the incident had begun.
"Following any fatal crash on a state road, a site safety investigation is carried out to determine if immediate safety improvements are required, followed by a more comprehensive investigation taking into account crash history, the condition of the road, speed, road geometry, and weather conditions at the time of the crash," the spokesperson said.
"Transport for NSW then discusses the findings at its crash investigation meetings to determine if any further safety improvements can be identified and addressed."
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