An elderly woman who was struck by a vehicle in Mooroolbark last month has died in hospital.
The 81-year-old pedestrian was hit by a car on Maroondah Highway, near Landscape Drive, about 10.30am on 24 June.
She was taken to hospital for treatment but later died.
A spike in recent pedestrian deaths has triggered a new Victoria Police operation to address behaviour that leads to trauma of this kind.
Operation Aware will run until the end of September, with local and state highway patrols, solo units, bike patrols and police foot patrols each tasked with engaging with road users and enforcing consequences if required.
Road policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said Victoria Police wants the safety of everyone to be prioritised.
“This is not about levelling blame at anyone, this is about saving lives and reducing the amount of trauma on our roads,” he said.
“We’ll be focusing on all road users and all behaviours that put pedestrians at risk of being involved in a collision – whether it’s failing to give way, distraction, speeding, impaired driving, riding on the footpath, or not using designated crossings.”
This year alone has seen 25 pedestrians lose their lives in Victoria – up 56 per cent on the same time last year (16).
May to August is historically the highest risk period for collisions involving pedestrians, with reduced visibility due to less daylight hours and inclement weather during winter both major contributing factors.
Almost half of this year’s pedestrian deaths occurred during the last two months, with seven fatalities recorded in June and a further five in May.
Between 2019 and 2023, more than 80 per cent of pedestrian injury collisions occurred each year in metro areas, with weekdays between 2pm and 8pm identified as the most high-risk time.
“We’ve conducted thorough analysis to understand when, where and most importantly, why trauma involving pedestrians is occurring, and we’ll be prioritising and addressing these issues during Operation Aware,” AC Weir said.
The operation intends to highlight the impact misuse of footpaths and road rules can have for both drivers and pedestrians.
“Pedestrians have little to no protection, so when they’re involved in a collision with a vehicle, the consequences can be catastrophic,” AC Weir said.
Police are also urging anyone who witnessed the Mooroolbark incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist, to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
For the current provisional lives lost tally please see – police.vic.gov.au/road-safety
