Family seeking compensation from government after crash involving fallen light pole on Bowen Bridge

A northern suburbs family is locked in a bitter dispute with the state government over a bid for compensation after one of them crashed into a fallen light pole on a bridge in southern Tasmania.

Andrew Southorn with Lyons Labor MP Jen Butler on the Bowen Bridge. Picture: Supplied

The father of a P-plater from the northern suburbs says his son “could have been electrocuted and killed” when he ran into a fallen light pole on the Bowen Bridge earlier this year, as the family seeks almost $10,000 in compensation from the state government.

Andrew Southorn, of Otago, said his 23-year-old son, who asked to remain anonymous, had been driving across the bridge at 11.30pm on May 22, when he crashed into the pole.

While his son was not injured, Mr Southorn said the incident had started a “painful” battle for compensation with the State Growth Department, which is responsible for the upkeep of the bridge.

A car that crashed into a fallen light pole on the Bowen Bridge. Picture: Supplied

“[My son has] been trying to get lifts off people [to work] … and Ubers and buses that don’t turn up,” Mr Southorn said. “The buses from Bridgewater, lots of them would go straight past people. Or they just don’t turn up.”

“It’s just a real drag. It’s just not something that is fair.”

Mr Southorn works as a maintenance supervisor at the University of Tasmania and questioned whether the department had a preventive maintenance program for the light poles on the bridge and when they had last been inspected for corrosion.

The Southorns are locked in a legal stoush with State Growth over compensation for the incident, with the family seeking to be reimbursed for the value of the vehicle, subsequent transport costs, tow truck fees, and registration and insurance fees.

Andrew Southorn with Lyons Labor MP Jen Butler on the Bowen Bridge. Picture: Supplied

In total, it equates to about $9500.

“[My son] could have been electrocuted and killed. [The government is showing] disregard for what actually happened and [they’ve] belittled it,” Mr Southorn said.

He said while the car was insured, he “didn’t believe he should have to” go through his insurance company and wanted further compensation for additional costs incurred since the incident.

A State Growth spokesman said the matter “forms part of a compensation claim which is being investigated and handled by the department’s insurer”.

Lyons Labor MP Jen Butler said it was the government’s “faulty” infrastructure that had caused the incident and damages to the car and therefore it should cover the costs.

A light pole with a marking on the Bowen Bridge. Picture: Supplied

“This incident has raised serious concerns about the state of our infrastructure, with multiple light poles along the Bowen Bridge recognised as damaged and unsafe, requiring their complete replacement,” she said.

“How has the state government allowed for our public infrastructure to decay to a point that it is causing serious crashes, and how much longer before someone is critically, or even fatally injured?”

It’s understood TasNetworks has marked the poles that need to be replaced on the bridge, with works scheduled this month.