Green light for crashes

By Sarah Schwager
RESIDENTS living near a notorious Hampton Park intersection are at their wits’ end after yet another car smashed into a house on the weekend.
Pound Road’s Eric Bleile was at a loss as to what to do after a car drove through his yard on Saturday for the eighth time in the past four years.
He said since traffic lights had replaced the roundabout at the intersection of Hallam Road, five cars had smashed into house and three had gone into the tree on his front lawn.
On Saturday, a car smashed through the front fence, veered into the house, spun around, took out the gas meter and a window and damaged the brick wall.
Mr Bleile said every time there was an accident in front of his house he lost money, with the premium through his insurance continually going up.
Just two weeks ago, Mr Bleile and neighbour Derek Gardner, who has also seen his fair share of accidents, met with VicRoads and Casey Council officers over their frustration at the intersection.
Mr Bleile said they talked to the representatives about their disappointment at the handling of the intersection and asked that the roundabout be put back in as the accidents had only started after the traffic lights were installed.
However, Mr Gardner said he felt they had got nowhere with the officials.
“They were on about how the road slopes towards Mr Bleile’s house and could be dangerous when wet.
“I tried to explain to them that in the 35 years I have lived on Pound Road we never had so many accidents.
“After the lights went up the traffic increased with 75 per cent more trucks. When the roundabout was there the trucks could not get through.”
VicRoads Metropolitan South East regional director Steve Brown said VicRoads has met regularly with the local residents and Casey Council regarding safety concerns at the intersection of Pound and Hallam Roads.
He said VicRoads was developing a proposal to install barrier protection along some aspects of the intersection, a decision on which is expected to be finalised in the coming months.
Mr Gardner said action needed to be taken, with more and more residents along Pound Road moving out because of the traffic and collisions.