Toll Gate crash: SE Freeway miracle as truck hits 7 cars, bus
The Premier says he will revisit the call for a third arrester bed at the bottom of the freeway to prevent horror smashes. Police have also revealed details of those involved.
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Witnesses have told of the horror as a “truck came flying” through the intersection at the bottom of the South Eastern Freeway, ploughing through seven cars and a bus.
Nine people were taken to hospital after the runaway truck smashed into vehicles at the busy Portrush and Glen Osmond intersection at 3.45pm on Sunday.
Authorities have warned traffic delays remain while the intersection’s lights are repaired on Monday morning.
The horror smash has renewed calls by RAA senior manager of road safety and infrastructure Charles Mountain for a third arrester bed should be installed closer to the bottom of the Portrush Rd end of the intersection.
“We recognise there are some challenges in accommodating one at that location. But for anyone who gets themselves into difficulty and missed the last of the existing ramps then there’s a long descent still to the intersection and of course, the road itself continues to descend from the intersection all the way down,’’ Mr Mountain said.
“There’s no doubt that potentially can cause a problem if a vehicle finds itself out of control in that final path of descent.’’
The RAA made the recommendation to the Liberal state government in 2020 when it issued a safety report on the South Eastern Freeway and Mr Mountain said he would be seeking to make the case to the new Labor government.
“Fortunately, it appears no one has lost their lives or was seriously injured, but it does highlight the need to review the safe operation of heavy vehicles in this final stretch of the South Eastern freeway,’’ he said.
Premier Peter Malinauskas responded to the calls on Monday morning.
“That’s something that I’ll be in discussions with the department of transport about today … we’ll be examining whether we can go back and have another look at the third arrester bed question,” he told ABC Radio Adelaide.
Five people had to be cut free from their vehicles by teams of emergency workers.
In an update on Monday morning, police said a Mitsubishi truck towing a trailer was unable to stop as he entered the intersection of Cross Rd.
The truck driver was travelling along the freeway down track before it crashed into a Hyundai SUV and a bus, which were stationary at the intersection.
The truck continued driving and crashed into another five vehicles, and the impact caused the first Hyundai to crash into another Toyota.
The truck driver from Queensland, 60, and the Hyundai driver, from Chiton on the Fleurieu Peninsula, 76, were both taken to the Royal Adelaide Hospital with minor injuries.
The passengers in the Hyundai, a Chiton woman, 66 and a NSW woman, 23, were also taken to the RAH with minor injuries.
The bus driver, a Mt Barker man, 68, and his two passengers, aged 88 and 49 from Ridgehaven, were taken to the RAH with minor injuries.
The driver of a Subaru, a Comandook man, 73, and a Riverglades woman, 73, and a driver of a Skoda, an Urrbrae woman, 72, were all taken to the RAH with minor injuries.
Others involved in the crash including a North Brighton man, 42, a Greenacres man, 30, a Normanville woman, 50, and a Balhannah man, 50, escaped unharmed.
The crash was a grim reminder of a 2014 accident, where a sewage truck careered into three cars waiting at traffic lights, killing two motorists.
Shocked witnesses said the multiple collision sounded like a bomb blast – and the air was filled with the smell of “burnt brakes”.
One man whose car was hit by the truck told The Advertiser he was “very lucky” to survive the impact.
“The truck came careening down the freeway and cleaned up a heap of cars,” said the driver, who did not want to be identified.
The man said he had stopped at a red light on the freeway when his car was hit, but escaped with cuts and bruises. He was treated by ambulance officers at the scene.
“I heard the (truck) first then I looked up and saw him coming and there was nothing I could do about it,” he said.
Another man who lives off Glen Osmond Rd described the pileup as “bangs, crashes and scrapes”.
“It was not just one sound, the impact seemed to go on for 10 or 15 seconds,” he said.
He said when he arrived at the scene the truck’s tyres were still steaming and there was a heavy smell of “burnt brakes”.
Lee Banh said the truck was “flying down the left hand lane and went straight through the bus and took out a pole and a few cars along the way”.
“It was like an explosion, it just went ‘bang’. It was pretty full on,” he said.
Another witness, who was walking to get a bus, said the truck smashed through a set of lights and then came across the centre of the traffic and smashed into the fountain.
“It sounded like a massive explosion and tyres screeching,” she said.
“Police and emergency (services) did get here pretty fast so hopefully everyone is OK.” Police closed all traffic lanes at the intersection for several hours.
A bus driver made one of the first calls for help.
“A truck just came down the hill at the Portrush Rd intersection and whacked lots of cars, we need police, ambulances and everything here right now,” he said in a call for help.
A state government spokesperson said they would await further detail as to the cause of the crash before considering whether further changes were required.
Major Crash detectives are investigating.
Anyone with dashcam footage is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Lives claimed, others maimed at notorious blackspot
2019: A cyclist and several motorists escaped serious injury after a truck lost its brakes and ploughed through the intersection. Police at the time said it was a “miracle” no one was seriously hurt. The B-double truck lost its brakes on the downward track.
A cyclist was also waiting at the intersection and walked away.
“It is extremely lucky no one was seriously injured given the history of this intersection,” a police spokesman said at the scene.
“He (the cyclist) should buy a lottery ticket. That’s just insane.”
The truck driver was cleared of being drunk or high on drugs.
2019: A Victorian truck driver lost his licence after his out-of-control truck charged through the Toll Gate intersection, narrowly avoiding a motorist.
Dashcam footage captured the incident at 5.30am. The driver failed to use low gear on his descent.
2015: Builder and architect David Cheney, 56, died when the motorcycle he was riding collided with a car near the Toll Gate. Witnesses said the car pulled onto the Princes Highway, near the Tollgate Motel, and collided with the motorbike.
2014: An out-of-control sewage truck smashed into three cars at the intersection of the freeway, killing one motorist and seriously injuring another who died in hospital the next day.
The Cleanaway truck attempted to veer left off the freeway, hitting the cars waiting at the intersection at 1.05pm. Three people needed to be cut free from their vehicles.
A coronial inquest into the incident heard the truck was travelling at 151km/h in the final 190m before hitting the victims’ vehicles. Criminal charges were dropped against the 29-year-old truck driver, Darren Hicks, who lost his leg in the crash.
Cleanaway is later found guilty of federal charges, finding it inadequately trained a driver before putting him behind the wheel.
Victims from the crash were Tom Spiess, 56, and Jacqui Byrne, 41.
In a swift response to the accident, the freeway speed limit was reduced to 60km/h for trucks between the Crafers exit and the Toll Gate. All other road users are limited to 90km/h.
2014: A semi-trailer rolled at the intersection, killing its driver James William Venning, 42, who was transporting a load of potatoes. An inquest heard his truck was travelling between 125km/h and 145km/h when it slammed into a retirement home at the foot of the freeway.
2010: A man at a bus stop was killed by an out-of-control truck. The truck hurtled down the freeway, clipping cars and crashing into a bus stop. John Posnakidis, a truck driver who had been waiting at the bus stop after his car carrier broken down, was killed.
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