Sydney, Jan 28 (IANS): Three teenagers have been arrested after a motorcyclist was killed in a crash involving a stolen vehicle that was being chased by police north of Sydney.

Police in the state of New South Wales (NSW) said that officers initiated a pursuit of the vehicle, which had been reported stolen, at about 7:15 a.m. local time on Tuesday near the small town of Gunnedah, more than 300 km north of Sydney.

During the pursuit, the vehicle collided with a motorcycle, critically injuring the rider, reports Xinhua news agency.

The male motorcyclist was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics but could not be revived and was declared dead at the scene.

Three 14-year-old occupants of the stolen vehicle were arrested and taken to a nearby police station.

NSW Police said a critical incident investigation has commenced, and it will also be subject to an independent review.

Meanwhile, concerns remain as, according to government data, Australia's road death toll has hit a 12-year-high.

According to a new report from the Bureau of Infrastructure and Transport Research Economics (BITRE) on Tuesday, there were 1,300 deaths on Australian roads in 2024.

It marks an increase from 1,258 deaths in 2023 and the highest figure since 2012 when there were also 1,300 deaths.

The 12-year high comes after Australia's federal, state and territory governments in 2021 launched a 10-year national strategy to reduce the number of road deaths by half and the number of serious injuries by 30 per cent.

The National Road Safety Strategy set a target of gradually reducing road deaths from the 2018-20 annual average of 1,142 to fewer than 571 by 2030.

The BITRE report said the 2024 death toll was 127.7 per cent higher than the 2030 target.

Responding to the report, peak motoring body the Australian Automobile Association (AAA) said the national strategy is "wildly off-track."

"It is clear current road safety approaches are inadequate and that more action is required to save lives," AAA Managing Director Michael Bradley said in a statement.

Out of Australia's eight states and territories, Victoria, South Australia and Tasmania reported fewer road deaths in 2024 than in 2023.

In New South Wales - the country's most populous state - the death toll was unchanged at 340 in both years, while Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory reported 79 more deaths combined in 2024 than in 2023.

November was the most dangerous month on Australian roads in 2024, with 131 deaths.