A MURRAY Bridge resident watched in horror late last week as an elderly pedestrian came close to being killed by a truck driver who failed to negotiate a left hand turn from Bridge Street into Swanport Road.
Peter McLaughlin said he watched helplessly from his vehicle as the trailer wheels of the semi-trailer went up onto the footpath and butted against the lady’s gopher while trying to make the tight turn mid afternoon.
“The lady actually had her hands out in front of herself, trying to push away from the truck as it pushed against her,” he said.
“The driver failed to swing out far enough to clear the corner and thus nearly killed that poor unfortunate lady on the gopher.
“I could see the potential for her gopher to be caught up between the wheels and drawn underneath - she was a very, very, lucky lady.”
Mr McLaughlin said he was committed to cross at the intersection by the lights but attempted to chase the truck down via Verdun Road after it failed to stop.
“The driver had belted out of Swanport Road before I could catch him,” he said.
“I went back to the intersection to check if the lady was alright and she was obviously shaken but okay and getting assistance from another person.”
Mr McLaughlin said measures implemented to restrict heavy vehicle transports from using major streets in Murray Bridge were proving futile.
“These measures are proving totally useless as I see the traffic lights at the same intersection consistently being destroyed by truck drivers trying to negotiate, an albeit, impossible turn,” he said.
“Only last week yet another traffic light pole was ripped out of the ground by a truck trying to make a left hand turn from Bridge Street onto Swanport road,” he said.
“And this has happened on many occasions.”
Mr McLaughlin said he could not understand why CCTV cameras had not been installed at the intersection.
“Why can’t we shove a CCTV up there as well to nab these cowboys that clearly can’t drive properly and destroy our public property and almost kill people?” he said.
“Who has to die before this becomes an issue?”
Murray Bridge council acting chief executive officer Peter Bond said such incidents had the potential to cause harm but the issue was for the Department of Transport Energy and Infrastructure (DTEI) to handle.
“I am of the view that many heavy vehicles are unnecessarily using the local road network,” he said.
“B-doubles in particular should be utilising roads gazetted for use.
“Council’s observation is that B-doubles are on occasion utilising non gazetted roads and should be held to account.”
Mr Bond said the manner in which CCTV cameras could be used more appropriately was a matter for discussion between the council and the police.
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