By Mitchell Clarke
A man has been killed and a woman and a child are in hospital after a horror smash outside Gumbuya World.
Emergency services were called to the notorious Princes Highway intersection near the theme park in Tynong North at about 5pm on Monday 25 January.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the collision, but the Gazette understands the occupants of a 4WD had just left Gumbuya World when their vehicle collided with a truck at speed.
The driver of the 4WD tragically died at the scene while his two female passengers were both airlifted to hospital in a critical condition.
A woman in her 30s was taken to The Alfred hospital and a primary school aged girl was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
The injuries sustained weren’t revealed by Ambulance Victoria, but a spokeswoman from The Alfred on Tuesday confirmed the woman remained in a critical but stable condition.
The little girl’s condition is also now stable, the Royal Children’s has confirmed.
As reported previously by the Gazette, frustrated motorists have long been calling on VicRoads (the Department of Transport) to take action on the deadly road.
An overpass at the site has been touted as a long-term solution. A petition calling for that type of infrastructure to be considered was launched immediately after Monday’s fatal crash.
In less than 18 hours, almost 4000 people had signed the petition, organised by Krystal Clark, who wrote the intersection was “so dangerous”.
“The aim of this is to hopefully have a change made for the safety of everyone who travels within the area,” Ms Clark wrote.
“Gumbuya World is only going to get bigger and more popular. There’s also a quarry situated nearby and trucks using the intersection often. There has been multiple motor vehicle accidents already and we don’t want to see more incidents like this occur.”
Liberal Narracan MP Gary Blackwood has long advocated for increased safety measures to be implemented along the road.
He “strongly urged” everyone to sign the petition.
“This is an absolute tragedy and my thoughts and prayers are with the family,” he told the Gazette.
“I will again raise this issue in Parliament and directly with the Minister. Something must be done to ensure this never happens again.”
In a statement, Gumbuya World said: “The team at Gumbuya World is deeply saddened to hear this news and our thoughts remain with the family.“
A Department of Transport spokesperson said the cause of the crash was yet to be determined.
“We are working with Victoria Police to investigate the circumstances of the crash, as we do with any tragic fatality on our roads – and our thoughts go out to the loved ones of those involved,” the spokesperson said.
“As part of our investigations we will review safety and make any improvements required to keep Victorians safe.”
To sign the petition: change.org/p/vicroads-road-overpass-needed-for-tynong-nth-on-the-princess-fwy-at-gumbuya-world-intersection.
