AWNW - 08th March 2017

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Issue #370 – Wednesday, 8 March, 2017

Albury Wodonga’s largest circulating newspaper

Dragon ladies and men hit the water It’s no secret that Dragon Boat Racing is quickly becoming a very popular sport on the Border - which is why April will be an exciting month for enthusiasts as Wodonga hosts the 21st Australian Dragon Boat Championships at Gateway Lakes

FULL STORY, PAGE 4

Over the edge By Larissa Kuzeff “It all happened in a blink of an eye. The thoughts that were running through my head weren’t comprehensible, and the next thing you know I saw the bonnet of my car launch off the cliff edge ... ”. NewsWeekly journalist Monique Kuzeff isn’t the only one who has experienced a traumatising road accident in Victoria, but fortunately, she is one of the very lucky road users who survived a death-defying experience on a Victorian road. While Australia works hard to provide roads that are safe to use, sometimes hazards can find themselves when you least expect them. While many hazards can be easily avoided, occasionally road users can become a victim in a nerve-shaking situation, which can alter their life in a matter of seconds. Ms Kuzeff anticipated an exciting weekend ahead in the alpine country after a long week at work and set out on her way toward Mount Hotham on a Friday evening. She had a stopover in Bright before she continued on the Great Alpine Road, weaving its way from Harrietville, over to Omeo, where it continued into East Gippsland. As she entered the steep ascent she remembered looking over the edge as the cliff got steeper and steeper. It was a bluebird day - the sun was slowly descending behind the neighbouring mountains, but the road appeared to be in a safe condition. As her venture took her further up the mountainous road, she began to notice dark patches spread across the right-hand side of the road as she went around a few of the corners. She was aware of them “subconsciously”, but didn’t think too much about it, assuming that they were just water spillage or patches of darkened tarmac on the road. “As I went to turn this widened corner, there was this dark patch on the road. I didn’t really

consider it or think anything about it at all - I supposed it was probably just water,” Ms Kuzeff said. “I was only going about 30 or 40 kilometres an hour because it was quite a hairy corner, but before you know it, my car was sliding uncontrollably all over the road.

“It just amazes me that I am here today to tell the story.” Monique Kuzeff

“Initially, I thought I was aquaplaning, as I had previously experienced this sensation on the highway on a rainy day, but that didn’t make sense because it wasn’t raining and I wasn’t going very fast. “I quickly realised that after sliding for more than three seconds over the road that it wasn’t aquaplaning and that I was sliding on something else.” With her instinct kicking in, Ms Kuzeff noticed the guard rail two metres ahead and focused her energy on sliding into it. “Almost immediately I took my foot off the accelerator and looked up. I could see a guard rail ahead and thought maybe I could steer in to that if I could manage it,” she said. “Maybe my wheels could grip again and I would be on my way but the car gained no traction. “I wasn’t sure whether I was screaming in my head or screaming out loud, but I was terrified about what I was about to experience,” she said. Continued on page 2

A lopped tree caused significant damage to the bonnet and windscreen of the Toyota Picture: MONIQUE KUZEFF Corolla. 165727

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