Reported by the West Australian newspaper, a truck was towing two coal trailers on the highway and had just crossed the Hamilton Bridge at about 9am Saturday morning when the rear trailer tipped onto its side near Allanson.

The skidding trailer smashed into the ute which was travelling in the opposite direction, with enough force to push the wrecked vehicle backwards on the road.

While the Nissan driver died at the scene the 59-year-old truck driver was said to be unharmed.

Back in 2003 the Collie Mail newspaper reported the Collie Chamber of Commerce and Industry was calling for upgrades to the highway and cited the Hamilton Bridge as a danger spot, although the chamber made the point in reference to winter driving conditions.

“Heavy and frequent rainfall, combined with the number of curved, downhill, narrow locations and frequency of heavy large trucks, gives rise to numerous dangerous situations for road users not familiar with the individual characteristics of the road,” chamber executive director Richard Syme said in a letter reportedly sent to politicians and Main Roads WA.

“The Hamilton River Bridge location is probably the worst of these, as any frequent user of the road in winter will confirm."