A 23-year-old motorcyclist has died following a serious multi-vehicle crash at Paracombe in the Adelaide Hills, north-east of Adelaide, on Monday afternoon. Emergency services were called to Gorge Road near the Kangaroo Creek Reservoir after a collision involving a Yamaha motorcycle and two cars. The incident has prompted a major crash investigation, with police urging motorists to avoid the area while investigators examine the circumstances surrounding the fatal collision.

The crash occurred at approximately 12:50pm on 5 October 2026. According to police, the motorcycle was involved in a collision with a Mitsubishi sedan and a Subaru sedan. The rider, a 23-year-old man from Salisbury Heights, suffered fatal injuries and died at the scene despite the response from emergency services. The drivers of the two cars, aged 22 and 21 and both from Fairview Park, were not injured in the crash.

Major Crash Investigation officers attended the location to determine exactly how the collision occurred. Investigators are expected to examine the positions of the vehicles, road conditions and available witness information as part of the investigation. Police have also appealed to anyone who witnessed the crash or was travelling through the area with dashcam footage to come forward.

Gorge Road was closed around the crash site while emergency crews and investigators worked at the scene. Authorities warned motorists that the closure could affect travel through the Adelaide Hills and encouraged drivers to use alternative routes until the investigation and recovery work were completed.

The fatality adds to South Australia’s road toll for 2026. Police reported that the crash represented the state’s 86th road fatality of the year, highlighting continuing concerns around serious crashes across metropolitan and regional South Australia. Investigators have not publicly attributed responsibility for the collision, and the circumstances leading to the impact remain under investigation.

Police are asking witnesses who may have seen the motorcycle or either of the two cars immediately before the crash to provide information. Dashcam recordings could also assist investigators in establishing what happened in the moments before the collision. Anyone with relevant information is encouraged to contact Crime Stoppers.

The investigation remains ongoing, and further details may be released as police establish the sequence of events. At this stage, authorities have confirmed the death of the young motorcyclist and the involvement of three vehicles, while the two other drivers escaped physical injury.