By Mitchell Clarke
A poorly maintained road was the driving factor behind a frightening car accident which saw a $70,000 Audi run off the road and into a culvert in Maryknoll.
Rob Mackie’s wife was travelling down Fogarty Road on Tuesday 12 November just before 7pm when she struck a pothole which pushed the vehicle into another pothole before coming off the road and landing off the road in a nearby ditch.
Thankfully, Mrs Mackie wasn’t seriously injured, likely due to the fact that she was travelling at about 60 kilometres along the road which has a speed limit of 80 kilometres.
“She’s bruised, sore and shaken,” Mr Mackie told the Gazette.
“She’s extremely lucky to have walked out of the car which has now been written off.”
But residents believe it’s only a matter of time until that luck runs out, if Cardinia Shire Council doesn’t urgently do something to maintain the road.
“We’ve been putting complaints into them since we moved here about 20 years ago,” Mr Mackie explained.
“A lot of people in the town have also been complaining and the response is always the same – council have 800km of roads to maintain.
“It just makes us feel like we’re being pushed to the side.”
Like many unsealed roads across the shire, Fogarty Road has been described as “extremely poor” with “very large potholes”, making it difficult for vehicles to manoeuvre the road.
Despite this danger, Mr Mackie said there were no warning signs to suggest to motorists the road was unsafe.
“When council actually do grade it they just put the loose gravel back into the road,” he said.
“But as soon as it rains, the water goes through and destroys it. It’s not a permanent fix.”
As more people decide to call Maryknoll home, residents are urging council to find a solution which will ensure current roads are safe for vehicles and can cope with increased traffic.
“We love where we live and we understand that this is a country road but these roads still need to be maintained to a standard where they’re safe for people to drive,” Mr Mackie said.
It’s understood the Mackie’s will be claiming compensation from council to cover insurance excess and out of pocket costs.
Cardinia Shire Council has been contacted for comment.
