General News
5 February, 2026
Safety plea ignored prior to crash
THE resident whose house was destroyed following a crash last month had appealed for the government to implement safety measures years before the crash occurred – but their concerns were ignored.
As reported last week, a home was destroyed after a teenager driver, who police allege provided an evidentiary breath test of 0.132, is alleged to have left the road and crashed into a family home on High Street.
The resident of the home, who has requested not to be named, recounted the horrifying moments in the immediate aftermath of the incident.
They awoke to the sound of a “thunderous bang” and felt an impact to their head as they were thrown across the room after the car crashed into their family home.
The vehicle had contacted the first left side of the property, completely entering the lounge room before coming to rest after a heavy collision with the bedroom wall – which cracked and came precariously close to collapsing.
The resident said it was a “miracle” they and their child, who were sleeping in the bedroom, survived.
“There was thick dust making it difficult to breathe and speak – there was confusion when I couldn’t open the door as the bed was jammed against it,” they said.
“We escaped the room, smoke detectors blaring from the dust and on the way outside I saw the skylight was smashed in the lounge room and I knew something very bad had happened.
“I then saw the car in our house and entire walls gone, with a person on the floor holding their stomach and calling out for help, and neighbours on the phone to emergency services.
“It was then I knew the day had come – I had feared driver error on that corner would land a vehicle into our house.
“I did not expect that it would be so close. How we have walked away, I am still trying to understand.”
The resident said the impact of the collision was so great it had warped the structure of the property.
Every wall or household item absorbing impact in the split-seconds as the event unfolded was critical in making the difference between what happened, and what could have happened as part of a far more tragic outcome.
“Our bikes seem to have provided an extra layer of crumple zone and dispersed the impact, along with sheets of corrugated iron in the wall cavity which prevented the bricks coming through,” the resident said.
“Even though the hardwood studs moved over a metre and the iron flexed, it held just enough to prevent a different outcome.
“This is not a fatal crash, but this was close.
“The area where we were sleeping is destroyed and so much of our creative art and unique furniture was just vaporised – pieces of the curb were half way down the block.
“The sound and feel of the impact keeps replaying over and over again.”
Western District Newspapers understands the Department of Transport and Planning had been contacted on a number of occasions, dating back years, with concerns regarding the safety of the corner.
The correspondence included pleas for safety barriers or bollards to be installed, citing consistently seeing reckless driver behaviour which could result in the worst happening.
The pleas fell on deaf ears.
“Their response to me felt dismissive and belittling – I have training in advanced driving so I know what can go wrong, and their response was “we only protect power poles and important things” and “there hasn’t been an accident here in the last five years”,” the resident said.
“Since the crash into my place a number of people have come forward and told me about three previous crashes involving that corner.
“I feel so frustrated that my concerns were not taken seriously.”
While the trauma associated with the collision has left an indelible mark on the resident, so too has the subsequent kindness of the Terang community.
“This has been incredibly stressful – just trying to sort everything out, with a head injury, has been difficult,” the resident said.
“The local community, Returned and Services League, St Vincents, Red Cross, Terang Co-Op, the newsagency, emergency services, Noorat Primary School, the Terang Community Op-Shop and complete strangers have been very supportive.
“The little things like getting me a coffee, offering a shower and even the State Emergency Service member who lent their shoes – thank you.”
Western District Newspapers contacted the Department of Transport and Planning with questions regarding what process went into the decision to not install safety barriers, and if a new process would be undertaken following the incident.
The Department of Transport and Planning responded stating there were no plans to make any changes to speed limits or road infrastructure at the location, citing there had been no reported incidents in five years prior.
“The safety of all road users is our priority, and we constantly monitor our road network to determine where improvements are needed,” Department of Transport and Planning executive director Barwon South West and Grampians
“When setting speed limits, we carefully balance keeping everyone safe on our roads and keeping people moving around their communities.”