MORE than a dozen car crashes resulting in injury have occurred in recent years on the stretch of road that recently claimed three lives at Staghorn Flat.
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Lisa Turner and her son Jack Wallace, and Peta Cox, died on August 7 when their vehicles were struck by a BP petrol tanker on the Yackandandah-Wodonga Road.
An analysis of VicRoads statistics shows there were 14 accidents on the road between July 2007 and June 2013 which resulted in injury.
Of those crashes — which were recorded between Yackandandah and the Kiewa Valley Highway — 10 resulted in serious injury.
Between August 2009 and August 2014, five people were hospitalised and 11 others injured after crashes on the entire stretch of road.
Gary Hayward, who has used the road daily for 2½ years, recently called for upgrades and raised concern over increased truck usage.
VicRoads regional director Bryan Sherritt said about 560 trucks used the road each day.
“VicRoads is aware of concerns from some community members regarding heavy vehicle traffic movements on the Yackandandah-Wodonga Road, particularly as they pass through Yackandandah,” he said.
“The Yackandandah-Wod-onga Road is a recognised route for trucks and represents a vital link to the major hub of Wodonga.
“VicRoads regularly inspects the road for maintenance, and over the past several years we have carried out a number of road repairs.
“VicRoads have no immediate plans for major road improvements in this location, however we will continue to monitor the safety and operation of the road.”
Member for Benambra Bill Tilley said the triple fatality was not caused by the road but instead appeared to be a mechanical fault.
“In the one that happened the other day, it’s an engineering mechanical failure,” he said.
“I’ve been to a couple of fatalities myself and on both of those occasions, it was not the road infrastructure.”