LATROBE Inspector of Police Mark Langhorn has called for motorists across Gippsland to take care on the roads this holiday season.
First published in the 14 November 2014 edition of the Warragul & Baw Baw Citizen. Click here to get a copy.
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In an open letter, Mr Langhorn recalled past tragedies and the effect they have on communities.
“I recall with great sadness my Christmas of 2010. It was about half-past midnight on Christmas morning when I was called out to attend a car accident,” he said.
“A family of three had been driving and, due to the driver being tired, she hit the curb and lost control of the car. The car overturned and collided with a fence.
“A 57 year old lady in the passenger seat died.”
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“I vividly recall the lady’s adult children turning up to the crash site and watching as the undertakers took their mother away. I can’t begin to imagine the sadness they now feel every Christmas day.”
“Now I am responsible for road safety across Latrobe, Baw Baw, Bass Coast and South Gippsland and I see the same tragedy too often. Between now and the end of the year it is highly likely that we will lose more members of our community to road accidents.
“A lot of you will think to yourself that ‘it won’t happen to me.’ Last year there were 21 people that died on the roads across our communities. This year we have had 15 people die on our local roads. If trends continue as they did last year, we will see six more people become victims of the road toll between now and the end of the year.
“The purpose of this letter is to make each person think before they go on the road and commit that they will drive safely and cautiously.”
