By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Greater Dandenong councillor suffered a “scary near-death experience” after being narrowly missed by a speeding hoon outside Greater Dandenong SES headquarters.
Cr Lana Formoso, an SES volunteer, says she’s previously raised the issue of the speeding vehicles in the Mills Road cul-de-sac that’s littered with shredded tyre rubber and skidmarks.
Exiting the SES unit is perilous, further escalated by the numbers of parked trucks blocking sightlines at the driveway, she says.
On Saturday 26 March, as she drove out of the unit she was almost hit by a hoon at “very, very high speed”.
“You could say over 100 km/h,” she told a council meeting on 28 March.
“I was fortunate enough to stop and look simply because I am aware of the hooning that occurs on this road, but I was blocked by two illegally parked trucks.”
She immediately called triple-0, and the matter is being investigated by Victoria Police, she said.
“Police did not arrive. I was very shaken by the experience and it really puts us off as volunteers to know that we are at risk every time we are entering and leaving these premises.
“We attend our day as volunteers hoping to return in one piece.
“To leave the venue to almost be killed by reckless driving which I have flagged on numerous occasions is just outrageous and it needs to stop, and we need something to be done
immediately.”
Cr Formoso called for a ‘keep clear’ zone painted at the SES unit’s driveway.
Currently there are no parking-control signs along the council-managed road.
City of Greater Dandenong acting engineering director Craig Cinquegrana said the council was aware of large trucks parking on the street.
He said the SES unit had been advised to report illegal parking over vehicle crossings “even after hours and we can have a parking officer out there straight away”.
“We have advised our parking officers to keep an eye on the area but It does rely on them catching those trucks being parked illegally at the time.”
He said incidents should be reported to Victoria Police’s anti-hoon hotline.
“Even if it does not result in immediate action, they can then build up a case of bad behaviour particularly if there is evidence of the vehicle and the registration number.
“That helps them build up a file of those hoon drivers.”
Despite by-laws to help police crack down on hooning-event spectators, Greater Dandenong was “one of the areas of greatest concern”, Mr Cinquegrana said.
Since the easing of Covid lockdowns, Victoria Police reported a “rapid growth” in hooning incidents.
In reply, Cr Formoso said after-hours parking officers were only available until 7pm.
“This is a Victoria Police issue but what are we doing as a council to assist this issue in terms of putting ‘keep clear’ zoning lines onto the road?
“I have an email here stating that (council traffic officers) did not feel that the line markings were appropriate or necessary.”
