By Mikayla van Loon
Emergency services were called to a minor collision at the intersection of Maroondah Highway and Mangans Road on Sunday 10 July, sparking concern from nearby residents about the safety of the roads.
Four CFA crews responded to the incident at 3.43pm and a spokesperson confirmed it was under control by 3.55pm, although traffic was still built up in the area around 4.30pm.
Lilydale SES responded to the three car crash initially as the call came through for a rescue of a trapped person.
Upon arrival, unit controller Shaun Caulfield said the incident was not as severe as first indicated and all occupants of the vehicles were able to extricate themselves from the crash.
Victoria Police confirmed it was a minor collision.
Paramedics were also on scene to assess the drivers and passengers of each of the vehicles.
“A woman and a high-school aged boy were taken to Maroondah Public Hospital in a stable condition with minor upper body injuries,” an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said.
Taking to social media, local residents identified the dangers of the Mangans Road entrance onto Maroondah Highway given the merging traffic from Warburton Highway.
One resident of Tudor Village noted she had submitted a petition to parliament for changes in the area.
Most suggestions included a ‘stop’ sign rather than a ‘give way’ sign at Mangans Road or traffic lights for merging traffic from Warburton Highway.
“Such a bad intersection, I hope something can be done about it,” one commenter posted.
“Such a horrid intersection,” another person wrote.
While comments from local residents suggest the intersection has had a number of near misses, the Department of Transport (DoT) confirmed there had only been one recorded crash at the site in the five years prior to December 2021.
Mr Caulfield said SES crews do not frequent the location and are very rarely called to a serious collision at the intersection.
Lilydale CFA captain Warren Davis said however, it is not uncommon for the brigade to respond to a number of calls for incidents at Mangans Road.
“We do get calls there a few times a year,” he said.
“Cars turn off Maroondah Highway onto Mangans Road and don’t judge it properly.”
Mr Davis also said cars coming from Warburton Highway don’t give way to the cars travelling up Maroondah Highway and tend to “cut in front of each other.”
These types of situations Mr Davis said occurred often outside the McDonald’s in Lilydale until VicRoads installed the amber lights that are activated when a car is waiting to turn right.
Seeing this as a possible solution for the Mangans, Maroondah and Warburton intersection, Mr Davis said it would only add to road safety.
“In November 2021 the Department of Transport made a number of improvements to the Maroondah Highway near Mangans Road including road resurfacing and line-marking to improve safety and longevity of this stretch of road,” a DoT spokesperson said.
“The Department of Transport continues to monitor the state’s road network to determine where upgrades are needed most.”
The DoT said it would continue to work with Yarra Ranges Council and Victoria Police to assess the need for future improvements along these roads.
