‘I don’t want my children to be the first responders’

Mother living next to notorious black spot doesn’t want young kids ‘seeing something they can’t unsee’

LIVING next to a notorious black spot on Coramba Road, one of Tamara Haldon's biggest fears is that her young children, as "first responders" will see something they can't unsee.

Following yet another crash at Karangi last week, a few hundred metres past Coffs Harbour Lawn Cemetery, Ms Haldon is urging Local and State Governments to do something about the notorious stretch of road before someone is killed.

There have been at least six crashes outside Tamara Haldon's property since September last year and she is calling for a change to the speed limit. Photo: Tim Jarrett

There have been at least six single-vehicle crashes at the site since September 2019, with cars most often losing control and ending up in the ditch in front of Ms Haldon's property, metres from where local children wait for the school bus.

"I don't want my children to be the first responders," she said.

"We are usually home when we hear them and we run down to help, but when people don't appear from their vehicle instantly - like the other day - I say 'hang on - you guys wait there'.

"I don't want them to see something they can't unsee."

When the family bought the property last December, they were greeted by the sight of a smashed car with police tape around it and a year on with no sign of change, she has decided to speak up.

The scene of the latest crash on Coramba Road which occurred last Friday.

Ms Haldon believed changing the speed limit could remedy the situation, especially with the 50km/h zone ending just before an overtaking lane appears.

"When you have an overtaking lane and an 80 km/h sign people think 'you beauty i'll hook through there."

"We see a lot of near misses here with the overtaking."

Ms Haldon also suggested removing the overtaking lane and creating a bus stop so the school bus had a safe place to pull over on such a busy stretch of road.

This stretch of Coramba Road approaching the Coffs Harbour Lawn Cemetery in Karangi has become notorious for single vehicle crashes in the wet. There have been at least six since September 2019. Photo: Tim Jarrett

It is not the first time the issue has been raised, with fellow Karangi resident Allison Lipman warning last year that it was only a matter of time before someone was killed.

The family have captured footage of three crashes and its release last week led to debate about why there were so many incidents in the one spot.

Most people believed it was a case of people not driving to the conditions.

Acting Coffs/Clarence Police superintendent Brendan Gorman said crashes such as those at Karangi were "100 per cent" the result of poor decision making on the part of drivers.

Acting Superintendent Brendan Gorman of the Coffs/Clarence Police is urging drivers to obey the law. Photo: Tim Jarrett

Mr Gorman said it was precisely the reason he was taking the time to reiterate, yet again, how important it was to follow the road rules and drive to the conditions.

"If you are driving too fast for the corner, you are going to lose control and if you are driving too fast for the conditions, you are going to lose control and somebody is going to get killed or hurt," he said.

"At the end of the day every crash is the decision of somebody to do the wrong thing."

Coffs Harbour MP Gurmesh Singh said he had been in contact with Coffs Harbour City Council who were applying for funding under the NSW Safer Roads Program.

Coffs Harbour City Council confirmed there would be works carried out on the site shortly, and they had put in an application for funding under the National Black Spot Scheme.