Car hits grader

By Jade Lawton
A YOUNG woman was lucky to escape unharmed when her Toyota Corolla collided with a council grader on Thewlis Road, Pakenham recently.
According to reports, the woman was driving her ’80s model Corolla south on the road when she came across the grader travelling up the crest on Thursday 12 December.
In an attempt to avoid the grader she swerved and skidded, spinning 180 degrees and hitting the grader backwards.
A nearby resident said the same thing had happened to his daughter and that the council should not use the unmade Thewlis Road as a thoroughfare for graders travelling to other parts of the shire.
“It’s a single lane road and if you put a grader up there is no room for anyone else. My daughter was put into a drain a couple of years ago, nearly killed,” he said.
“But nothing’s changed. I don’t know why the council depot don’t send their machines up the bitumen road.”
A witness to the incident, Cameron, said the smash had left the woman ‘shaken up’ but otherwise uninjured.
“The grader was going right up the middle of the hill, and this lady is coming south-bound over the crest of the hill, she panicked and put her foot on the brakes and because the road is unmade she just spun it,” he said.
“The grader didn’t look damaged. They (the council) need to make the road wider and stop sending machines up there. It is not appropriate for them to be on that road; it’s not wide enough for residents and council machines.”
Cardinia Shire Council spokesman Paul Dunlop said that when the driver saw the woman he stopped the grader immediately, but was unable to avoid the car hitting the truck.
“Council conducted a detailed incident report directly after the accident,” he said.
“The grader operator asked the female driver of the car if she was OK, which she replied yes she was. She also commented to both the grader operator and supervisor that she had “over corrected” the vehicle and lost control.”
Mr Dunlop said the section of Thewlis Road was a 4B classified unsealed road, and the condition of the road was assessed by the unsealed road supervisor and operations team leader directly after the accident.
“They both found it to be in excellent condition with no visible signs of potholes or corrugations,” he said.
“Also noted, was a nearby resident making comment to the supervisor and grader operator on how good the condition of Thewlis Road is.”
He said the road was inspected every six weeks in accordance with council’s road management plan.
“Like all other roads within the shire it is required to be used by the various council vehicles. This is for the purpose of road maintenance on the road itself and other connecting roads,” he said.
“The first 400 metres of Thewlis Road will be sealed north of Princes Highway. The works are part of the Cardinia Road Precinct Structure Plan.”