'I had no control': Push to fix dangerous stretch of road before fatality

Alistair Clarke, of Clarke's Pies, had just made a delivery in Simpson and was driving on the Lavers Hill-Cobden Road near the AG Warehouse when he came to grief on a bend before the Colac turn off.

"I cruised around the corner and the rear end just let go," he said.

"I had no control whatsoever, I was along for the ride.

"It did a complete 180 then headed off into the table drain, skidded down it, went on its side, and as it started to climb the table drain on its other side it fell back onto its wheels when it stopped.

"I've seen a semi-trailer come to grief around the same corner, never in my wildest dreams I thought I'd participate but obviously I did.

"It's got no surface, it's slippery. I go on this route twice a week.

"I was only going about 60kmh and I slowed down because it was wet. There are signs up saying it's 80kmh and 60kmh when it's wet, but I can tell you, having spent an hour or more there after the incident, there's not many people taking heed of the speed limit."

Simpson resident Stephen 'Pappy' Hunt said the bend was known to be dangerous among most locals and he feared a fatality was just a matter of time.

"Signs saying 80kmh won't cut it, it's just like you're on black ice," he said.

"Even if you're doing 10kmh and you go around this bend - at least four trucks last year went off on it.

"A fatality is going to happen."

It comes just weeks after residents called for urgent action on the Cobden-Warrnambool Road between Rollos and Bartons roads following a spate of accidents and a fatal crash.

Road users also described the surface of that road as slippery before emergency repairs were made.

The Standard contacted the Department of Transport and Planning but it did not reply by deadline.