Potential road tragedy avoided

Highway Patrol behind Ulmarra when it comes to black spot

Coffs/Clarence Highway Patrol Sergeant Jarrod French and his team are helping to keep Ulmarra safe. Picture: Adam Hourigan

ANOTHER potential road tragedy was avoided on Sunday thanks to an increased Highway Patrol presence in and around Ulmarra.

On Sunday, Coffs/Clarence Highway Patrol officers pulled over a southbound truck driver that had been reported by motorists as swerving along the road.

Officers pulled the truck over near Old Post Office Lane just outside the northern end of Ulmarra.

"He was pulled over and told to come off the road because he appeared fatigued," Coffs/Clarence Highway Patrol supervisor Sergeant Jarrod French said.

"However, the driver later continued on and was pulled up again at Halfway Creek by Coffs Harbour Highway Patrol for the same thing."

"Hopefully, we stopped a catastrophic incident at the Ulmarra black spot."

Sgt French said the increase in patrols around Ulmarra have helped to avoid several potential incidents.

"We've been doing what we can to help the Ulmarra community, which is our current black spot, by providing extra patrols and visibility," he said.

"In addition to speeding, we also caught drivers with alcohol or drug-related offences."

Sergeant French said a number of motorists were still failing to acknowledge the extension of the 50km/h speed zone on the southern end of Ulmarra.

"We've definitely been picking up more speeders coming into town," he said,

"One driver went straight past us while speeding. We gave him a ticket."

Originally published as Potential road tragedy avoided