‘Mix of emotions’: Roundabout approved for deadly Doonside intersection days before fatal crash
In a cruel twist in Saturday's tragic Doonside crash that killed couple Frank and Carmen Sant, just days earlier, funding had been approved to improve safety at the notorious intersection.
Blacktown
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- Doonside residents call for roundabout at ‘deadly’ Crawford Rd intersection
- Indian national accused of deadly Doonside crash a ‘flight risk’, refused bail
There’s been a bittersweet victory for residents at a deadly Doonside intersection, with funding for safety upgrades being approved just days before Saturday’s fatal crash.
Doonside couple Frank and Carmen Sant, both aged in their 80s, were tragically killed at Crawford Rd and Coveny St the same week Blacktown Council allocated funding for a roundabout at the known black spot.
In a council vote last Wednesday night, $265,000 was allocated for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection within the next 12 months.
In a statement, the council said the intersection had been listed under its works improvement program for funding consideration earlier in the year.
The approval comes four months after residents petitioned the council to improve safety at the T-intersection, which has been the scene of three fatalities in recent years.
Carmen Sant was killed instantly when Indian national Harjinder Singh, 22, allegedly failed to give way and crashed into the Toyota Hilux ute she was travelling in just before 10pm on August 24. He husband of more than 50 years, Frank, died the following day in hospital.
Mr Singh has been charged with several offences, including: dangerous and negligent driving occasioning death, dangerous driving occasioning grievous bodily harm, negligent driving occasioning grievous bodily harm and not giving way to a vehicle.
Pastor JJ Bomford of Doonside’s Westview Baptist Church presented a petition to the council in April after witnessing a serious crash and a string of near misses on his church doorstep.
In a response to his petition, the council advised Mr Bomford that it was aware speeds along Crawford Rd were “higher than desirable”, with a request made to police to help enforce the speed limit.
Mr Bomford said a mixture of emotions came with his petition’s success.
“I’m very thankful (the roundabout funding) has happened, but I just wish the works had already started and these things might’ve been prevented,” he said.
“It’s just very sad the funding hadn’t gone through in time for this family.”
He said residents that while residents were relieved a roundabout would soon be built, they were frustrated it hadn’t been done sooner.
“People are generally disappointed something hadn’t been done before this,” he said.
“It would’ve been great if this could’ve been done sooner. At least the family will have some consolation knowing it’s going to be done and they know any accidents here in the future could now be prevented.
“It might be some comfort for them in this grief.”
Resident Skate Naufahu was first on the scene when the Sants’ ute careered into his front fence on Saturday night. The crash was the second fatality he had witnessed outside his home in two years.
“I was watching TV downstairs with my wife when I heard something big, and a big shake,” he said.
“I opened the door and went, ‘Oh my God’.
“I knew the old man was in a bad way, but the lady had passed away straight away.
“All the residents came running, about 100 of them. Everyone picked up their phones and called triple zero.”
After having lived in the house for 15 years, Mr Naufahu said it was fortunate he had installed a fence outside his home to protect his family in the event of an accident.
“If that fence was not there, the car could’ve come through into my house and killed me and my wife,” he said.
“I installed this fence because of the crashes. If I had kept the original fence, a much smaller one, I think my wife and I would’ve died.”
Mr Naufahu and Mr Bomford hoped a roundabout would help slow down traffic and prevent future fatalities.
“Excessive speed at this spot is what causes fatalities. This roundabout will at least bring this down,” Mr Bomford said.
“At the very minimum, we can expect accidents like the ones we’ve seen in the past few years not to happen again at this spot.”