Warwick Settree claims he warned Sunshine Coast Council before fatal Little Mountain crash

One of the first people on the scene of a horror fatal motorcycle crash has revealed he tried to warn council about the dangers of the road 12 months ago.

Warwick Settree said the death of a 35-year-old motorcyclist was a matter of when and not if, after he tried to alert the Sunshine Coast Council to the dangers of Sunset Drive in a bid to make it safer.

A longtime Little Mountain resident and surveyor, who was one of the first on the scene of a fatal motorcycle crash near his home, tried to warn council about the dangerous stretch of road 12 months ago.

Warwick Settree has lived in his Little Mountain home for almost three decades and was one of the first to arrive on-scene after a 35-year-old Diamond Valley man struck a parked car on Sunset Drive, near the intersection of Allamanda Ave in Little Mountain on Wednesday night.

The rider was critically injured in the crash and died at the scene.

Mr Settree feared another tragedy was inevitable if the Sunshine Coast Council did not make the road safer.

“It wasn’t unexpected. It’s going to happen again, so we need devices to slow the traffic down,” he said.

Long time Little Mountain resident Warwick Settree. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

Mr Settree emailed the council on June 30, 2022, raising concerns about speeding drivers and safety.

“At night the squealing of tyres on the bend regularly wake us and is affecting our sleep patterns to the point that it is impacting our general health,” Mr Settree said in his email.

He wrote in the email that three vehicles in six weeks had left the roadway near his house – the site the motorcyclist had died – and added there was “no doubt” someone would have died if they collided with another vehicle.

Yellow marks on Sunset Drive which indicate the rider's last movements before he fatally struck a white Toyota Camry. Photo: Elizabeth Neil

He suggested reducing the speed limit from 60km/h to 50km/h, installing speed reduction devices at the Tallowood Road intersection and installing a solar speed radar sign near the Sunset Drive and Allamanda Ave intersection.

The council’s traffic and engineering team responded to Mr Settree on November 17, 2022, and said his inquiry had been investigated.

They said the Council undertook a traffic survey in July 2020 to gauge vehicle speeds, which showed 85 per cent of vehicles complied with the speed limit on Sunset Drive.

They said speed reduction devices could not be installed because it was a District Collector Road and the devices would increase traffic on adjacent routes.

They also said speed radar signs were not appropriate for that road.

There was no funding for upgrades to Sunset Drive at the time of the email, they said, however a road safety audit, which would identify any changes needed to be made to the road, was to be completed in early 2023.

This week the council did not respond to questions about Mr Settree’s concerns or on if there were any upgrades being investigated for Sunset Drive.

In a statement the council said their thoughts were with the motorcycle rider’s family and friends.

“The circumstances surrounding the tragedy are a matter for Queensland Police Service, so Council is unable to comment at this stage,” a spokeswoman said.

Originally published as Warwick Settree claims he warned Sunshine Coast Council before fatal Little Mountain crash