A man has been killed in a motorcycle crash near Darwin, as police raise concerns about the rising death toll on Northern Territory roads.
The crash happened on Chung Wah Terrace in Palmerston just after 10pm yesterday and the man died at the scene, NT Police said.
Senior Sergeant John Ginnane said police were investigating the circumstances of the crash, but they believed alcohol and speed may have been factors.
"At this early stage in the investigative process it would appear that a person holding a learner's permit to ride a motorcycle has spent several hours in a licensed premises before the collision," Sergeant Ginnane said.
"[He] was riding a motorcycle too powerful for the conditions of his licence, and was travelling at excessive speed immediately before he lost control and died.
"The loss of any life on our roads is always a tragedy.
"Unfortunately, and as with the vast majority of fatal collisions dealt with by police and emergency services, this one was entirely preventable."
Police believe the man was on his learner's permit.
The crash comes just two days after another fatal crash in the Territory, in which a 47-year-old man died and three other people were injured.
Sergeant Giannane said Wednesday's crash took the Northern Territory's road toll to 20 this year – a far higher number than that at the same time last year.
"That's almost three times the suffering inflicted on our community than at the same time in 2021," he said.
Police will prepare a report for the coroner.
