SOUTH Australia has recorded its first road death of 2010 when a 35-year-old woman crashed her car after swerving to miss a koala near Mt George in the Adelaide Hills.
Police said the Mt Barker woman's silver Holden Commodore sedan was heading east on the Princes Highway when she swerved to miss the animal which was sitting in the middle of the road.
The car spun 180 degrees and crashed into a concrete pylon of the Bridgewater road overpass just after midnight.
Police said the woman died at the scene with a 36-year-old male passenger and an 11-year-old female passenger, also from Mt Barker, escaping with minor injuries.
Despite 119 people losing their lives on South Australian roads last year, Police Commissioner Mal Hyde said drivers are getting the message on road safety.