Grieving family calls for action to keep pedestrians safe

The distraught family of an elderly grandmother who died while holding her husband's hand to cross a busy Sydney intersection have called for an urgent overhaul of “green on green” traffic lights.

• Elderly woman dead after being hit by cement truck
• Sydney pedestrian killed identified as Gangotri Maharaj

The distraught family of an elderly grandmother who died while holding her husband's hand to cross a busy Sydney intersection have called for an urgent overhaul of “green on green” traffic lights.

When Gangotri Maharaj, 82, stepped into Willoughby Road in Crows Nest the walking signal was on green — as a cement truck turning left from Albany Street also had a green traffic light.

‘I don’t want this to happen to any other family,” their daughter Gita Singh told The Saturday Telegraph on Friday.

“I strongly believe that someone should be doing something to fix the traffic lights.”

Vijay Maharaj with a wedding photo of himself and his wife Gangotri, who was killed by a cement truck in Crows Nest last week. Picture: Tim Hunter

It was almost a carbon copy of two other fatalities in Beecroft and Emu Plains which led to coronial recommendations for traffic signals to be upgraded.

Harold Scruby, head of the Pedestrian Council of Australia, labelled the “green on green” lights as lunacy as a leading personal injuries lawyer, Gaius Whiffin, warned the government had left itself open to be sued over the mix-up.

Transport and Roads Minister Andrew Constance on Friday pledged to look at anything it takes to make the roads safer.

“I offer my deepest condolences to the Maharaj family and all families affected by road tragedies,” Mr Constance said.

“Safety is my top priority and if there is anything we need to look at to make our roads safer I will look at it.”

The traffic lights at the corner of Willoughby Rd and Albany Rd in Crows Nest where the accident occurred. Picture: Tim Hunter

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Mrs Maharaj’s family held her funeral yesterday. She died from extensive injuries after being dragged along the road under the cement truck.

The 35-year-old truck driver has not been charged as police have confirmed the phasing of the traffic lights is being examined as part of their investigation into last week’s accident.

It chillingly similar circumstances, mother-of-two Mijin Shin, 38, was hit and killed by a school bus in 2012 as she crossed Hannah Street at the intersection of Beecroft Rd in Beecroft on a double green light with her 11-month-old daughter Meera in her arms.

On the bus was her daughter Kelly, then 11, on her way home from a three-day school camp. Baby Meera was saved when Ms Shin threw her as the bus hit. Both the traffic light for the bus and the walking signal for Ms Shin were on green.

Mijin Shin, who was killed when struck by a bus in another green-on-green situation, with her daughters Kelly and Meera.

The intersection where Mijin Shin was killed by a bus in 2014.

Deputy State Coroner Sharon Freund recommended in 2014 that Roads and Maritime Services consider adding phased red lights at all crossings in the state that were without them.

The bus driver in that case, John Wickett, was never charged with an offence and was cleared of blame.

“He was cleared but the guilt he carried was tremendous,” his wife Pat Wickett said yesterday. Her husband is terminally ill with cancer.

In 2011 schoolboy Rhys Walker, 17, died crossing on a green signal on Old Bathurst Rd, Emu Plains, into the path of a turning semi-trailer.

Rhys Walker, 17, was struck by a truck at the corner of Great Western Highway and Old Bathurst Road, Emu Plains.

Coroner Paul McMahon recommended Roads and Maritime Services conduct a safety review of the traffic control at the site.

The RMS on Friday confirmed that as a result of the two inquests they had upgraded 81 per cent of the 560 intersections with only “green on green” lights, including the fatal Crows Nest intersection, adding other measures including red arrows for traffic turning left.

However an investigation by The Saturday Telegraph shows both green lights still show at that spot for most of the time it takes pedestrians to cross.

A red arrow stopping traffic in Albany St turning left quickly fades while the light for walking continues on green at the same time as traffic has a green light.

“She didn’t deserve to go like that. It is heart wrenching,” Ms Singh said on Friday. “My parents were right, they were crossing on a green light.”

She said that her father was distraught as the couple, who had just got their Australian citizenship, were coming up to their 61st wedding anniversary. They have four children and five grandchildren.

The crime scene set up in Crows Nest after Gangotri Maharaj was killed by a cement truck. Picture: Richard Dobson

A policeman examines a cement truck at the Crow Nest crime scene. Picture: Richard Dobson

“I was just looking at her new Australian passport. It was issued on April 24 and she had her birthday on April 26 and five days later she was gone,” Ms Singh said.

“It’s not fair.”

Her uncle, Yatish Kumar, 70, said he knew about the dangers of “green on green” lights after a friend was injured at similar lights in Ermington.

“Especially some of the busy roads and elderly people and the take their time and before people have finished crossing they have the green light to turn and some of the trucks and utilities seem to be in such a rush,” Mr Kumar, who has been comforting his niece, said.

“There are many near accidents.”

Mr Scruby said if there was a green light for pedestrians, there should be a red light for traffic.

“It is a fundamental part of road safety that people can be certain when they are crossing the road that have the right of way and also that other road users understand that,” Mr Scruby said.

“There are traffic lights like this all over Sydney. It is lunacy.”

Mr Whiffin, a partner in law firm Turner Freeman, said when the red arrow went out, so should the walking signal turn red.

“If I was acting for anyone injured in these circumstances, I would seriously consider joining the SMS as a defendant,” Mr Whiffin said.

“RMS has been on notice of this problem and that is an important legal issue.”

The crash remains under investigation by NSW Police.

NSW Centre for Road Safety executive director Bernard Carlon said the overhaul of traffic lights would be completed by the end of this year.

“The fatal incident at Crows Nest was a tragedy and we extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s family,” Mr Carlon said.

“Regardless of the (police) investigation’s outcomes, we have immediately started a review of pedestrian safety at the intersection to determine what safety improvements can be made.”