FIX DEATH TRAP NOW
Reeling family demands action at fatal intersection
A MAN, whose partner and daughter were injured in a crash just days before another man died at the same intersection, has called for urgent work to fix the deadly black spot.
Kevin Braunton’s partner Deb Wills and daughter Candace suffered bruising and broken bones after a smash at the intersection of Colac-Lorne and Birregurra-Forrest roads on Christmas Eve.
Two days later a Batesford man, 52, died in an accident at the same location.
“Something must be done about this intersection. If no one will, I’ll go down there and dig it up myself.”
A GLEN HUNTLY father is calling for an urgent upgrade to a black spot intersection at Birregurra after his partner and daughter were cut free from their crumpled wreck just two days before a man was killed at the same crossing.
Kevin Braunton’s partner Debra Wills and 12-year-old daughter Candace were travelling through the Colac-Lorne e and Birregurra-Forrest roads intersection, from their Apollo Bay holiday home, when they were hit at high speed, about 7pm on Christmas Eve.
Mrs Braunton sustained spinal fractures and Candace broken ankles and toes when the car rolled multiple times.
The pair were airlifted to specialist Melbourne hospitals.
Five others were also hospitalised.
The father said he’d since promised his baby girl that he would fix the intersection “some way”.
“If no one will, I’ll go down there and dig it up myself,” he said.
“Deb and Candace were coming back from our holiday house in Apollo Bay to pick me up in Geelong when I got a call from a complete stranger telling me they’d been in an accident. It’s just been a nightmare.
“Deb is still in a fair bit of pain, she’s got fractures in her back and her sternum as well as her ribs.
“We were supposed to be heading back down to Apollo Bay for Christmas, all Candace’s presents are down there, she hasn’t been able to open anything yet.”
On Boxing Day, a man died and a woman was left with serious abdominal injuries following a crash at the same Birregurra intersection.
Victoria Police spokeswoman, Leading Senior Constable Lea-Taylor Bolton, said it appeared a white Toyota Altise went through a stop sign and collided with the victim’s green Ford Telstar.
The driver of the Ford — a 52-year-old Batesford man — died at the scene
Mr Braunton said his heartache had been compounded with the news a man died at the same intersection two days later. “That road is getting much busier and more accidents will happen,” Mr Braunton said.
“I’m not going to let this issue continue. The person in this case was not as lucky.
“Something must be done about this intersection.”
In April this year, a toddler was among six people seriously injured in a two-car crash at the same intersection.
Police said the incident occurred about 5.25pm when a Toyota sedan and a Toyota hatchback collided at the corner of Colac-Lorne and Birregurra-Forrest roads.
A woman, aged in her 60s, received head and abdominal injuries and was flown in a critical condition to The Alfred hospital.
Four other occupants of the sedan — including a toddler, a woman and two men — were taken to Geelong hospital with serious injuries including head lacerations, chest and pelvic injuries.
In April 2016, a dual cab ute travelling on the north-south Birregurra-Forrest Rd was involved in a collision with a white sedan at the intersection with the east-west Deepdene Rd.
The ute flipped, landing on its roof, with a family of four inside escaping serious injury.
VicRoads was unable to provide comment when contacted yesterday.