Valla Beach Road, Giinagay Way dangerous intersection, anger mounts
Just over one week since a man died from injuries sustained at a notorious Mid-North Coast intersection there’s been yet another accident. See the video.
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Just over one week since a man died from injuries sustained at a notorious Mid-North Coast intersection there’s been yet another accident.
The intersection of Valla Beach Road and Giinagay Way has been the scene of several fatalities, near misses and horror crashes over the years, impacting the entire community.
Most recently a 71-year-old succumbed to injuries sustained in a two-vehicle crash at the accident hotspot two weeks prior.
It prompted renewed calls for action with more than 100 residents attending a rally at the scene on June 18.
Matt Begg operates a pottery business near the intersection and has been monitoring the situation closely and claimed in busy periods he sees a near miss every 10 minutes.
“When people are using hand signals to figure out who has right of way, you know the intersection is not working.”
He was on the scene following yet another accident at the intersection on Saturday.
A Nissan Navara ute and a bronze Toyota Camry sedan collided head on about 11.45am.
“A woman aged in her 50s was treated for chest pain and arm injuries by NSW Ambulance Paramedics,” a NSW Police spokesperson said.
Mr Begg spoke to the woman shortly after impact.
“She said she was waiting to see who would make the first move.”
A man suffered a minor leg injury and the road was open again by 2pm.
Oxley MP Michael Kemp is growing increasingly frustrated with the situation, particularly the give way sign there that he says is “counter intuitive to most other T intersections in the state.
“It is counterintuitive because the traffic turning right across a major thoroughfare has right of way from the traffic going the other way and turning left into an offshoot.”
He says there are some intersections that have the same design but they include a concrete barrier to separate the main intersection from the offshoot.
Some members of the community say there should be a roundabout installed there.
Following the most recent fatality Transport for NSW announced that a permanent 60 km/h speed limit would now be in place from 500 metres north of Valla Beach Road to the existing 100km/h change point south of Valla Beach Road.
But Mr Kemp says more needs to be done.
“What is it going to take to put the safety of the Valla community before red tape and an inability to admit that this intersection design is the cause of the confusion- another death? another fatality?”.
Got a news tip? Email: janine.watson@news.com.au
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Originally published as Valla Beach Road, Giinagay Way dangerous intersection, anger mounts
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