By Derek Schlennstedt
A collision on the Warburton Highway on Thursday was the second serious incident there in the past few months.
Two cars collided head on, about 5pm on 19 October, prompting closure of the road between Carter Street and Alpine Boulevard.
Police believe a four-wheel drive vehicle travelling from Launching place towards Woori Yallock lost control and veered into the oncoming lane colliding with a small hatchback travelling in the opposite direction.
The two occupants of the smaller vehicle were trapped for nearly an hour before emergency services were able to free them.
One of the occupants of the hatchback, a woman in her fifties was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious chest, pelvis and abdomen injuries.
The other occupant, a male in his fifties suffered pelvis and leg injuries and was also taken by ambulance to the Royal Melbourne in a serious condition.
The driver of the 4WD, a woman in her teens, and believed to be on P-plates, had minor injuries and was not taken to hospital.
The collision comes months after a similar car crash took place in the vicinity.
A resident, who lives near the highway, said she had seen several accidents in the same spot due to a ‘large bump’ which has formed and can unsettle a car.
“It’s a terrible stretch of road … there are always accidents there,” she said.
Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol believe the crash was a mixture of both driver inexperience and poor road conditions.
“The 4WD was coming up the hill on the bend and the driver lost control of the vehicle and had a head-on with the other vehicle heading in the opposite direction.”
“It was a combination of driver inexperience and poor road conditions,” police said.
Yarra Ranges Highway patrol Sergeant Dave Macclefatrick reminded drivers to drive to the conditions especially following days of warm weather and then rain.
“Obviously during period of heavy rain drivers must be aware of the road surface changes and need to drive to those conditions … especially after dry periods where oil can soak into the tarmac and then leech out when it rains,” Sgt Macclefatrick said.
