FEARFUL residents whose homes are just metres from a notorious crash site on the Sturt Highway between Forest Hill and Alfredtown are calling for urgent action to be taken following another two wrecks late last week.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
A petition calling for the speed limit to be reduced from 100km/h to 80km/h along the stretch of highway was launched on the weekend by a long-time resident of a nearby house, Alisa Scanlan, after a truck and car collision on Friday afternoon.
The day before, a car had veered off the highway near Tumbarumba Road.
A 60km/h speed limit was put in place after Friday's crash and will be reassessed on Monday.
Miss Scanlan said collisions, crashes and people getting hit along that particular part of the highway, not far from a service station and closed-down pub, have been a common occurrence throughout her 25 years at her current address.
IN OTHER NEWS:
In October 2020, a car crashed outside of Miss Scanlan's property and ended up at her front gates, right where her son usually waits in the mornings to catch the bus to school.
"Not long before that a young boy was hit by a truck just up the road and he died, and before that an old couple were hit after pulling out of the servo," she said.
"I worked at the pub years ago and I worked at the servo and it's like Russian roulette."
Living there has made Miss Scanlan accustomed to thinking the worst every time she hears a siren.
"Every time you hear the sirens you think 'oh god', and you hope it's not too bad," she said.
"The speed camera is up there on a daily basis, the council even mows a strip for him."
Another nearby resident, Allana Lander, said crashes between Alfredtown and Forest Hill have been occurring more frequently in recent months, often with serious outcomes.
"It's more common now, it's happening more frequently, there's been a build-up just recently," Mrs Lander said.
The mother-of-two said she would like to see, at minimum, a sign put up to warn motorists of children waiting on the side of the road for school buses.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for Transport for NSW said the government continues to work towards improving safety.
"Transport for NSW will continue to work with all stakeholders including Wagga City Council and NSW Police to ensure safety remains the number one priority on our roads," they said.
"An investigation into the recent crash at this location will be conducted which includes reviewing speed, as well as road, driver and vehicle factors."
To view the petition, visit change.org/p/slow-down-to-80km-sturt-highway-between-forest-hill-alfredtown-nsw.
Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content:
- Download our app from the Apple Store or Google Play
- Bookmark dailyadvertiser.com.au
- Follow us on Twitter
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Google News
- Make sure you are signed up for our breaking and regular headlines newsletters