A CHILTERN mother and her three young children have crashed on a freshly graded gravel road that police said was like driving on marbles.
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No one was hurt but police said the crash could have ended in serious injury or death.
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Elysia Reade travels every week from Chiltern to Wodonga down Felltimber Creek Road for her childrens’ swimming lessons because three-year-old Will, who has autism, craves routine.
“We have to go a certain way or he’ll have a meltdown,” Mrs Reade said.
Just after 3pm yesterday, Mrs Reade lost control of the Land Rover about 10 kilometres from Wodonga.
The car slid, slammed into a tree and rolled onto its side.
Mrs Reade said her children were screaming but “that’s a good sign”.
She climbed out of the passenger window and pulled Will, Dellah, 19 months, and five-month-old Hannah, who were all strapped in, from the car.
Sen-Constable Mark Paynter said the tree stopped the car from sliding down a bank.
“It could’ve been a totally different outcome,” he said.
He said the freshly graded road played a major part in the crash.
“It’s like driving on marbles,” he said.
“Take it easy on freshly graded roads and be vigilant of the speeds.”
Mrs Reade, standing with her husband Jason who arrived later at the scene, said that next time she would be trying a different route even with Will’s autism.