Notorious Dukes Highway faces new calls for live-saving upgrades

One of South Australia’s most infamous roads is still too unsafe for modern standards, say the family of a young man who lost his life to it last year.

Angela London still can’t bring herself to travel along the stretch of highway where her beloved son was killed.

More than three years after her 18-year-old son Ethan was killed in a horror smash on the Dukes Hwy, Ms London would rather add hours to a trip than be reminded of her loss.

“I can’t say that it’s got easier,” Ms London said.

Ethan was killed on December 9, 2019 after he fell asleep at the wheel, drifted into the opposite lane and collided head-on with a semi-trailer.

The teenager was living in Keith in the state’s southeast while completing his agriculture apprenticeship and travelling regularly between the town and his family home at Aldinga Beach.

“He pushed himself and drove home when he shouldn’t have,” Ms London said.

It was a tragedy Ms London and her husband Danny say could have been avoided if more safety measures were installed on the notorious stretch of road, where teenager Poppy Crozier was killed just weeks ago.

Poppy died at the scene after her silver Mazda station wagon crashed, along with a blue Holden ute and B-double truck just after 6.45pm on May 26.

“It’s actually quite triggering for us,” Ms London of hearing about the crash that claimed the 19-year-old’s life.

Ms London said the crash occurred just kilometres from where her son was killed.

Now, she is calling for a massive overhaul of the state’s country roads to better protect motorists.

“At the end of the day, the roads need to be redesigned assuming that someone’s going to fall asleep, assuming that someone’s going to be speeding, assuming that someone’s going to be looking at their phone because that way they’ve got the best chances of survival,” she said.

“We’re just humans right? We make mistakes all the time.”

Angela and Danny London lost their son in a crash on the Dukes Hwy three years ago. Picture: Russell Millard

Ethan London was killed in head on collision with a semi-trailer in December, 2019. Picture: Supplied.

Ms London and her husband called for a dividing barrier to lessen the chances of death if a driver was to drift into oncoming traffic.

“That road should be separated by a barrier down the middle of the road,” Ms London said.

“If there was a barrier down the middle of that road, yes he might have still died, but he would have had more chance because he’s only battling with whatever else is there - trees or bushes - rather than a head-on collision which you have zero chance of survival in that situation.

“I believe many of those accidents can be avoided, fatality wise, if the roads were designed better and it just feels like a no-brainer.”

The Londons want their loss to act as motivation for change, but no matter what happens, they know it won’t bring their son back.

“You have a young man who has a dream, and who is following that dream, and for it to end so short when he had so much to offer this world is just heart-wrenching for our family,” Ms London said.

“That’s our story now, that’s our narrative.”

A state government spokesman said planning was underway to upgrade major freight routes including the Dukes Hwy.

“Dividing barriers will be considered as part of this process,” he said.

“We recognise the devastating impact that road trauma has on families and communities, and we’re committed to achieving the targets set out in South Australia’s Road Safety Action Plan 2023-2025.”