Seventeen-year-old Kylie Poyner of Pambula was killed in the early hours of Sunday morning when her Hyundai Excel left the roadway and collided with a tree approximately one kilometre north of Eden.

Three other young people travelling in the vehicle suffered critical injuries, with emergency servics personnel describing it as one of the worst crashes they have seen in more than 25 years.

The accident happened on Little Bellbird Hill at approximately 3.40am.

The 17-year-old driver died at the scene while a 15-year-old Merimbula boy was airlifted to Canberra Hospital in a critical condition.

A 15-year-old Bemboka girl and a 13-year-old Merimbula boy were both transported to nearby Pambula Hospital before being airlifted to Canberra Hospital.

The Bemboka girl has since had both her legs amputated.

Two lanes of the Princes Highway were closed for a number of hours while police investigated the cause of the accident.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.

Sunday's fatality follows the December 28 death of three people including Ulladulla sisters Jordan and Makeely Bridge at Termeil on December 28.

The girls' father, David Bridge, died in hospital several days later.

A 21-year-old man was killed when his vehicle veered off the road on the Kiama bends on January 29 while Ken Ashman and his partner Christine Cluss, both of Fishermans Paradise, both died after their motorbike collided with a vehicle at East Lynne.

The driver of the vehicle, a Spanish national, has been charged over the accident.

* How do we stop the horror on our highway from continuing? Email your thoughts and stories to editorial.mutimes@ruralpress.com