By Staff Reporter
A 34-year-old Hoppers Crossing man has died following a horrific accident on the Western Ring Road this morning.
The man was a passenger in a truck when he and the driver, a 23-year-old Hoppers Crossing man, stopped in the emergency lane on the Western Ring Road near Furlong Road, Greensborough-bound, about 7.20am.
Detective Senior Sergeant Gerry Clancy told 3AW the pair had gotten out to adjust the straps on their load when the 34-year-old was hit and killed by a passing crane truck.
“From what we can gather the crane truck was straddling the far left lane and emergency lane and has collided into the rear of the truck.
“It pushed the truck a number of metres and veered off the road.
“The crane truck is a left-hand drive, it’s mind boggling as to why he didn’t observe the stationary truck.”
A man in his 20s and man in his 30s were taken to Sunshine Hospital in a stable condition with no obvious injuries.
A witness who was driving along the ring road around the same time, said the truck looked like it had pulled over into the emergency lane after a large, black plastic tank fell off the back just before Ballarat Road.
“The black tank was in the middle of the left lane and everyone was slamming on the brakes to avoid it and it was causing chaos. The truck pulled up further along,” he said.
The horrific crash has caused all Greensborough bound lanes to be closed to traffic, with cars diverted to Ballarat Road during the peak hour rush.
“Diversions are in place, I suggest get off the M80 before Ballarat Road and go around. They are likely to be there for quite some time… there were hideous scenes out there this morning,” Chris Miller from Vic Roads told 3AW.
Mr Miller said many of those in the traffic control centre saw the horrible crash, and urged those who may have been driving past and saw the scene to seek support.
“It rattled us all this morning, it was not a nice scene and there were lots of people driving past, they could have had kids in the car. There are support services out there.”
He said those who felt affected by the incident should call the Road Trauma Support Services Victoria on 1300 367 797.
– With The Age
