Advertiser’s James Gratton and Mark Brake stranded for an hour in Mid North dust storm
Reporter James Gratton and photographer Mark Brake are used to chasing stories but almost became the story after getting stranded in a wild dust storm. Video: 7NEWS Adelaide.
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Crawling at a snail’s pace along the 110km/h Barrier Highway in the state’s Mid North, veteran photographer Mark Brake jokes that we could become the news story of the day.
As a reporter, I often have to write stories about South Australians who have inadvertently stumbled into dangerous situations, many of which have tragically ended in disaster.
The irony isn’t lost on me as clouds of blood-red dirt blind us from the dangers of what is ahead, but I somehow manage to laugh it off.
We had been sent to drought-stricken Peterborough for the day to capture the moment rain hit the farming region for the first time in 18 months.
The wild weather had wreaked havoc across Adelaide, with monster swell tearing apart jetties, strong winds smashing windows and power lines felled - leaving thousands without power and counting the cost.
Out of mobile range, we’re both oblivious to the fact we’re about to also be in the firing line.
Only 30 minutes out of Peterborough, plumes of dust and dirt from the region’s baron paddocks suddenly blow into my view.
With visibility quickly reducing from 50 metres to one, I slowly follow the caravan being towed in front of our Ford Everest, not taking my eyes off its tail lights in a bid to get us to safety.
After losing it for a second, I’m forced to slam on the brakes as the caravan comes from the clouds, sending our camera equipment flying throughout the car.
Despite avoiding a certain collision, we make the unanimous decision to pull over and wait for the storm to pass for close to an hour.
Fearful that we might become a sitting duck on the side of the road, we join the convoy of cars slowly snaking their way out of the bushfire-like darkness.
Pulling out onto the road, I am totally unaware of the fact I’m actually on the right hand side of the road, easy pickings for any car - or semi trailer - blindly driving in the other direction.
Thankfully, Mark quickly alerts me to my mistake moments before an oncoming vehicle drives past.
After a nailbiting journey, we finally made it out of the dust storm, thanking our lucky stars we got there in one piece.
The ordeal comes after a truck driver was stood down after he was caught on camera ploughing into a car as traffic was at a standstill amid Monday’s dust storm in the state’s Mid North.
Footage obtained by 7NEWS showed a line up of cars on the side of the road and stopped in the left lane of the Sturt Highway as visibility was severely impacted by yesterday’s wild weather.
The truck appears to be overtaking the stopped traffic before sideswiping an unsuspecting VW Amarok caught in the traffic jam.
FIVEAA reported Collins Transport stood down the driver, pending an investigation into the incident saying it would be “completely unacceptable if safety standards and driver expectations were not met”.
On Monday morning, police warned the dust storm had significantly reduced visibility on RM Williams Way, north of Jamestown as wild weather lashed South Australia.
It came as the state was hit with blackouts and flood damage near Adelaide and in the southern regions, with some businesses shutting their doors due to the damage.
SA Police issued the warning at about 10.20am asking road users to “exercise caution”.
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Originally published as Advertiser’s James Gratton and Mark Brake stranded for an hour in Mid North dust storm
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