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Residents near a dangerous 16-kilometer stretch of the Western Highway between Stawell and Horsham in Victoria are calling for road upgrades and reduced speed limits after six deaths occurred there over the past six years. Recently, emergency services responded to another crash where a driver lost control and hit a tree, sustaining serious injuries but surviving. Farmer Ellie McDonald attributes the danger to increasing traffic on deteriorating roads, noting frequent near-misses due to speeding vehicles when others stop suddenly. The Western Highway Action Committee chairman Rod Ward emphasizes the need for government investment in road maintenance, citing over 658 fatalities or serious injuries along the highway in the past decade.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-08,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In Victoria, specifically on a 16-kilometer stretch of the Western Highway between Stawell and Horsham, there have been six fatalities over the past six years. Recently, emergency services responded to another serious crash where a truck driver lost control and crashed into a tree near Laharum; the driver suffered non-life-threatening injuries but was flown to hospital. Local resident Ellie McDonald attributes the high accident rate to both increasing traffic volume since 2011 and poor road conditions, advocating for road upgrades and reduced speed limits in the area.
Written for “Western Highway Safety Concerns” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Emergency services responded to another truck crash in this zone this week after a driver lost control and crashed into a tree.
Residents say road upgrades and reduced speed limits are needed along the Western Highway.
asserted
upgrades → respond → Highway
Yesterday emergency services responded to the notorious section of the Western Highway to attend to truck crash in Laharum where a driver lost control and smashed into a tree.
asserted
driver → respond → tree
The driver was flown to hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
asserted
driver → fly → injuries
Some residents who live near the perilous stretch argue the condition of the road is a key factor, while others believe driver distraction is to blame.
asserted
distraction → live → road
Dadswells Bridge farmer Ellie McDonald, whose property runs along this stretch, says it is likely a mix of the two.
asserted
it → run → two
"It's just getting busier and busier," she said.
"
asserted
she → get → ?
We moved here in 2011 and the traffic has increased exponentially.
asserted
traffic → move → 2011
"That combination doesn't work well with degrading roads."
asserted
combination → work → roads
'A sitting duck'
Ms McDonald said fatigue was a factor on a road, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, but speed limits were not helping.
"
asserted
limits → sit → Melbourne
Every couple of days I'll hear cars or trucks tooting where a caravan or car has stopped to turn into a local businesses …
asserted
caravan → hear → businesses
if you've got vehicles doing 80 kilometres an hour, you almost get rear-ended
asserted
you → get → kilometres
," she said.
asserted
she → say → ?
You are a sitting duck in the middle of the road if you're trying to turn."
asserted
you → sit → road
Victoria police Senior Sargeant Mathew Olston said he was aware of a number of recent serious collisions in the area.
asserted
he → say → area
"But it is important to make clear the sad reality that nowhere is immune form road trauma," he said.
asserted
he → make → trauma
"Some victims have, sadly, been young and inexperienced, with a number of collisions recorded at night."
asserted
number → record → night
Ms McDonald has asked VicRoads to review the speed limit.
asserted
McDonald → ask → limit
VicRoads has been contacted for comment.
asserted
VicRoads → contact → comment
A committee representing 10 municipalities across Victoria's west said the region had been "neglected".
asserted
region → represent → west
Western Highway Action Committee chairman Rod Ward said the government needed to upgrade and invest in maintaining the road, which he said was Australia’s third-busiest straight route.
asserted
he → say → road
He also wants to see the highway duplication at Buangor to continue west to the town of Stawell.
asserted
duplication → want → Stawell
Mr Ward said there was growing concern around Dadswells Bridge and that safety upgrades were critical.
“I think the lack of investment in the Western Highway has been a direct cause of some of the accidents,” he said.
asserted
he → say → accidents
The committee has recorded 658 fatalities or serious injuries along the Western Highway in the past decade.
asserted
committee → record → decade
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