General News
14 March, 2025
Collision raises local concern
Residents call for change at an intersection following a car accident Tuesday afternoon.
Residents have raised concerns over visibility at the Clarendon and Wills streets intersection following an accident on Tuesday afternoon.
Emergency services were called to the intersection of Clarendon and Wills Street just after 3.30 pm on Tuesday.
Local police believe the cause of the incident was one of the vehicles failing to give-way.
One of the drivers involved in the crash was a learner driver.
Paramedics assessed one woman in her 50s from one vehicle, and two primary school aged children in the other car.
No one received significant injuries or were transported to hospital.
Maryborough Police Senior Constable Brendan Rooney has advised locals to remember to always give way at signs, and to slow down at intersections to avoid a worse outcome.
“At about 35 km/h, it was a low speed collision, but don’t always assume other drivers will stop. Give yourself time to react in those moments,” he said.
Residents in neighbouring properties have become concerned about the intersection following other recent crashes of the same nature.
Aaron Grahame said he has witnessed numerous collisions in his nine years of living at his Clarendon Street property.
“This might be the sixth or seventh. I’ve witnessed nearly every one of them, or come home to them,” he said.
Many of these collisions have resulted in a vehicle colliding with his front fence.
“Three have gone through our fence, there’s many repairs that have happened, this [Tuesday’s collision] is another one,” he said.
Mr Grahame has found many of these incidents have occurred because motorists on Wills Street won’t give way to those on Clarendon Street.
Acknowledging some of the recent collisions were luckily not serious, he still fears that without action, the next accident could be.
“It’s getting to the point now where if I can hear something has happened, I don’t want to walk outside and see a fatality,” he said.
Mr Grahame has noticed multiple issues with the intersection, including overgrown trees blocking the give way signage.
“It’s the same coming up from Park Road, there was a tree hiding the give way sign, if they lose their leaves around winter, it’s not as bad but they need to be maintained,” he said.
Mr Grahame has even suggested a stop sign could replace the give way sign to prevent traffic not slowing down on Wills Street.
“Enough is enough, the tree hides the give way sign until it’s too late,” he said.
While he can list multiple issues at the intersection, he also hopes action can be taken to make the intersection safer.
“There could be a concrete barrier in the middle, or better road markings. Even if after an accident, an assessment can be done to prevent another one,” Mr Graham said.