By Mitchell Clarke
A rolling vehicle left a trail of destruction after colliding with another car in Officer.
Emergency services were called to a two-car collision on Bridge Road just before 12pm on Wednesday 14 October.
One of the vehicles is understood to have lost traction when trying to correct a bend.
It’s then believed that car clipped another vehicle before flipping and flattening a tree, but remarkably the occupants weren’t seriously injured and managed to walk away from the wreckage.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said two people were assessed at the scene but were not taken to hospital.
Witnesses reportedly heard two cars speeding up before the loud crash.
“We live around by Harmony Park and heard tyres screeching and brakes squealing,” Officer resident Lisa Frame recalled.
“Both my partner and I said to each other ‘what the hell was that’. We thought someone had hit parked cars until we got by the display homes and saw it.”
The crash has since sparked calls for the 70km/h speed limit at Bridge Road to be reduced.
Ms Frame said hooning was a “huge problem” within the Arcadia Estate.
“No one does the speed limit in the area. 100 percent the speed needs to be reduced,” she said.
Officer resident Rasangika Wickramasinghe agreed the current speed limit was too fast for the area.
“I definitely think the speed limit should go down on that road,” she said.
“It’s a residential area and two major schools are there. Most of the students walk everyday so 70km/h is not good.”
Another nearby resident, who often drives Bridge Road, said she was always wary about the potential for a crash.
“People just fly down that road, it’s becoming a real joke,” the woman, who wanted to remain anonymous, said.
“I’m worried that one day we’re going to see a tragedy there. It’s lucky everyone walked out of this crash OK.”
But not everyone believes a speed reduction will combat the issue at hand.
“Changing the speed limit won’t make a difference. 50, 60, 70 (km/h) – people will still speed. It won’t matter,” Sarah Kate wrote on a Gazette Facebook post.
“Rix Road had its speed reduced from 80 to 60 a few months ago, yet cars and trucks still hoon down it. Everyone is in such a bloody hurry these days,” Tania van Dongen added.
It remains unclear if street racing or driver error were factors in the collision.
Police at the scene said the exact circumstances were yet to be established.
