#FixVicRoads: Tow truck driver Sam Surace makes plea for road repairs in Echuca after spate of accidents

Echuca tow truck driver Sam Surace has seen first-hand the danger “just a little pothole” can pose on commuters — and now he’s calling for fixes before one claims a life. WATCH THE VIDEO

Tow truck driver Sam Surace is demanding the state government invest in fully restoring regional thoroughfares before another driver is killed on the road.

During his three years with Echuca 24hr Towing, Mr Surace has seen first-hand the financial, emotional and physical toll “just a little pothole” can have on commuters — sending them veering off the road, flying into trees and leaving them out of pocket and traumatised.

Sam Surace at the site of a near fatal accident allegedly caused by potholes on the Murray Valley Highway. Picture: Mark Stewart

The towing company is called out to an average of three to four incidents caused by road conditions every week, Mr Surace said.

One of those incidents occured at the Murray Valley Hwy near Wharparilla Dr.

“We had one vehicle just nudge those couple of potholes, just there on the side of the road,” he said, pointing to a series of small divots in the road.

The patched potholes on the Murray Valley Hwy. Picture: Mark Stewart

They may look ‘little’, but Sam says potholes like these cause problems regularly. Picture: Mark Stewart

“(The driver) obviously hit those potholes, he’s had a blowout and he’s come across this gravel … across the front of the intersection there and veered into that large gumtree,” he said, pointing at the nature strip about 100m away.

“They had pretty serious injuries. Lucky that wasn’t a fatal, just because of a little pothole.”

Shards of metal and plastic remain under the gumtree at Wharparilla Dr, Echuca. Picture: Mark Stewart

After a spate of near-fatal crashes in Echuca, Mr Surace is calling for immediate repairs before a corrugation claims a life.

“That’s all it takes — just that one time that one pothole isn’t fixed for that one driver to have a blowout on the driver’s side and pull that vehicle into an oncoming truck,” he said.

“Hitting a tree, hitting a power pole or going to the right hand side and hitting a truck coming the other way could cause serious injury, possibly even death.”

A low profile tyre is busted by potholes in Echuca. Picture: Sam Surace

’Another pothole victim’. Picture: Sam Surace

Sam fears the potholes, corrugations and uneven road surfaces across Victoria will soon cause a fatality. Picture: Mark Stewart

An Allan government spokesperson said the Murray Valley Hwy was inspected by maintenance crews “at least every two weeks”.

“In the two years to May 2025, we’ve repaired more than 1,855 potholes and completed more than 1,980 square metres of repair works on the Murray Valley Highway at Echuca,” they said.

But regional Victorians like Mr Surace say the focus on pothole plugging rather than full-scale road repairs just won’t cut it anymore.

“Give us a little bit and get out here and fix our roads,” he said.

Join the Herald Sun’s Fix Victorian Roads movement by using the hashtag #FixVicRoads on social media.