Police slam reckless drivers and the ‘bystanders’ who let them as community mourns eighth life lost

The top cop of a region hit with double the road fatalities as the same time last year has slammed bystanders who allow reckless drivers on the roads, comparing them to murderers.

Police have slammed the South East community, telling them “wake up” if they want to see less deaths on the road as they mourn the tragic loss of a Padthaway man, who has become the latest victim in the streak of fatal crashes.

Officer in charge of the Limestone Coast, Superintendent Campbell Hill, said police had been trying to drum home driver safety messages in the South East for years.

Since January there have been eight fatal road crashes on the Limestone Coast, compared with three this time last year.

Officer in charge of the Limestone Coast Superintendent Campbell Hill has slammed "bystanders" who are allowing their friends and family to drive dangerously. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Supt Hill said it was infuriating the number of people unsurprised by a death, because a driver was sometimes known for their poor choices.

Police are coming across “idiots” on the road weekly with police calling on “bystanders” in the community to step up to stamp out the behaviour.

“If we were talking about people that were going out to commit sexual assault in the community – people who are going out to murder – I’ve got no doubt that these same bystanders would be contacting the police,” Supt Hill said.

“Using drugs and recklessly driving every week, going out and doing burnouts, driving drunk from a local sporting club home – it's the same thing.”

Supt Hill said bystanders were “allowing people to go out on the road with the potential that they’re going to kill themselves or (someone) innocent”.

A 36-year-old Moana man was arrested on Saturday after reports emerged of vehicles doing burnouts on Wandilo Rd.

“Frankly (he’s) an idiot who was doing burnouts, tried to do a runner from the car he got caught, he (blew) 0.169 – so three times the legal limit,” Supt Hill said.

“He’s almost trying to collect the set of fatal five idiotic driver behaviours.”

Supt Hill would not comment on whether stronger action needed to be taken against drivers who flouted the road rules.

His calls come after a single vehicle crashed at Grubbed Rd at Padthaway, a small wine region about 40km southeast from Bordertown, just before 9pm Sunday.

The man’s death was the 46th life lost on South Australian roads compared with 61 at the same time last year.

A truck driver, 45, died after crashing into a ute at Mt Schank near Mt Gambier on July 19.

A truck driver, 45, died after crashing into a ute at Mt Schank near Mt Gambier on July 19.

RAA senior manager of safety and infrastructure Charles Mountain said drivers needed to be vigilant in becoming over confident in their own ability.

“People who’ve driven the same roads many times can become somewhat complacent,” he said.

“It is really important to always treat every journey as almost the first time.”

Police and emergency services at the scene of a fatal crash at Wye in Limestone Coast. Picture: Arj Ganesan

Supt Hill said the recent fatal accidents in the region were still before the coroner, but nearly every single fatal vehicle crash was caused in part by one of the fatal five.

“Where cars are leaving the road and – there is something that’s happening with the driver in charge of that vehicle that’s leading to a driver fault,” he said.

“That could be distracted with a mobile phone or a GPS, change your radio station, changing the volume, those sorts of really minute things at 110km/h an hour, can have catastrophic consequences.”