Safety upgrades rolled out at deadly Doonside intersection after fatal crash

Safety improvements have been made at a notorious intersection in Doonside where elderly couple Frank and Carmen Sant were hit and killed last month.

Give way signs have been replaced with stop signs in an effort to improve safety at a deadly Doonside intersection where an elderly couple were killed last month.

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Safety upgrades have been rolled out at a deadly Doonside intersection where local couple Frank and Carmen Sant were killed last month.

Give way signs have been replaced with stop signs and advance warning signs at the notorious intersection at the corner of Crawford Rd and Coveny St, where the elderly couple was hit by a driver who allegedly failed to give way on August 24.

Blacktown Council’s Local Traffic Committee voted unanimously to install the signs at the Coveny St approaches to Crawford Rd at a meeting on September 10 as part of a review into the fatal crash.

Emergency crews at the scene of the deadly Doonside crash at Crawford Rd and Coveny St which tragically killed local couple Frank and Carmen Sant. Picture: Steve Tyson/TNV

The signs have been installed as a temporary safety measure and follows funding for a roundabout, which was approved just three days before the deadly crash.

Local couple Frank and Carmen Sant died after a driver allegedly failed to give way at the intersection at Crawford Rd and Coveny St, Doonside.

Blacktown Council allocated $265,000 for the construction of a roundabout at the intersection before the end of June next year after local residents lobbied for safety upgrades.

The intersection has been the scene of three fatalities since 2016.

According to a committee report, the signs installed are larger than what would normally be used at the location.

At this week’s ordinary council meeting, Councillor Carol Israel said it was hoped the signs would help improve safety in the interim.

“My heart bleeds for the family of the victims and their tragic loss,” Cr Israel said.

“These warning signs and roundabouts may not stop incidents like this from happening … I am appealing to all road users in that street at Coveny and Crawford to please take extra care and obey the road rules.”

Give way signs have been replaced with stop signs and advance warning signs at the notorious intersection at the corner of Crawford Rd and Coveny St. Picture: Angelo Velardo

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. Her husband of more than 50 years, Frank, died the following day in hospital.

A man was killed in a fatal collision in 2016 and earlier this year, two women were seriously injured at the same intersection.

The upgrades come five months after residents presented a petition to the council calling for roundabout funding.