The Western Highway stretch between Stawell and Horsham in Victoria has seen 12 fatalities over the past six years, including a recent crash that killed three people near Ledcourt. Resident Ellie McDonald attributes these incidents to increasing traffic volume and deteriorating road conditions, highlighting frequent close calls due to speeding vehicles and driver fatigue. Authorities like VicRoads are under pressure to review speed limits and improve maintenance on this critical but neglected route.
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
Three people, including a 14-year-old girl, died in a multi-vehicle crash involving two cars and a truck at Ledcourt, near Dadswells Bridge, on September 27. Another incident occurred last week when emergency services responded to a truck crash in Laharum where the driver lost control and crashed into a tree, sustaining serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Over the past six years, there have been 12 deaths along a straight stretch of highway between Stawell and Horsham in Victoria. Residents argue that both road conditions and driver distraction contribute to the high accident rate on this dangerous section of the Western Highway.
Written for “Western Highway Safety Concerns” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
Three people died as a result of a two-car crash at Ledcourt, north-west of Stawell, last week.
Emergency services responded to another truck crash in this zone this week after a driver lost control and crashed into a tree.
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driver → die → tree
Twelve people have died on a straight stretch of highway between the Victorian towns of Stawell and Horsham in the last six years.
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people → die → years
Three people, including a 14-year-old girl, died following a horror crash involving two cars and a truck at Ledcourt, near Dadswells Bridge, on September 27.
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people → include → September
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.
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driver → respond → tree
The driver was flown to hospital with serious, non-life-threatening injuries.
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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.
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distraction → live → road
Dadswells Bridge farmer Ellie McDonald, whose property runs along this stretch, says it is likely a mix of the two.
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it → run → two
"It's just getting busier and busier," she said.
"
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We moved here in 2011 and the traffic has increased exponentially.
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traffic → move → 2011
"That combination doesn't work well with degrading roads."
'A sitting duck'
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combination → work → roads
In September 2021, two woman died on the Western Highway near Dadswells Bridge in a crash that closed the road for nearly 18 hours.
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that → die → hours
The following year a paramedic died in a head-on crash on the same road.
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paramedic → die → road
Ms McDonald said fatigue was a factor on a road, halfway between Melbourne and Adelaide, but speed limits were not helping.
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limits → say → 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 … if you've got vehicles doing 80 kilometres an hour, you almost get rear-ended," she said.
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she → hear → kilometres
You are a sitting duck in the middle of the road if you're trying to turn."
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you → sit → road
Victoria police Senior Sargeant Mathew Olston said he was aware of a number of recent serious collisions in the area.
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he → say → area
"But it is important to make clear the sad reality that nowhere is immune form road trauma," he said.
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he → make → trauma
"Some victims have, sadly, been young and inexperienced, with a number of collisions recorded at night."
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number → record → night
Ms McDonald has asked VicRoads to review the speed limit.
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McDonald → ask → limit
VicRoads has been contacted for comment.
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A committee representing 10 municipalities across Victoria's west said the region had been "neglected".
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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.
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he → say → road
He also wants to see the highway duplication at Buangor to continue west to the town of Stawell.
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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.
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he → say → accidents
The committee has recorded 658 fatalities or serious injuries along the Western Highway in the past decade.
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committee → record → decade
The Aporia
