Mountain Views
Mail Covering the foothills of the Yarra Ranges & Murrindindi Shires
6 Tuesday, 13 August, 2019
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A road safety barrier crushed by a fallen tree along the Black Spur.
Picture: JED LANYON
Tree kills woman By Jed Lanyon A 41-year-old woman was killed when a tree fell onto a moving car in Fernshaw on Friday 9 August. Police believe the vehicle was travelling along Maroondah Highway, through the section known as the Black Spur, when the gum tree toppled about 9.40am. The front seat passenger died at the scene and has been identified as Endeavour Hills mother Angie Suryadi. Emergency services freed her two children, aged four and five, from the vehicle as well as husband and father Arnold Aditiasvara, who
was driving the car. One child was airlifted to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition with lifethreatening head injuries. Paramedics transported the other to the same hospital by road ambulance in a stable condition with minor injuries. The driver was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a critical condition with serious injuries. As the Mail went to print on Monday 12 August, the Royal Children’s Hospital said that one of the children was in a critical but stable condition, while the other child was in a stable condition. Marysville SES controller Josephine Hunt-
er said crew members used hydraulic rescue tools to quickly and safely remove two members from the vehicle, as well as Ms Suryadi's body. The four volunteers also helped to clear the incident scene, including cutting and removing the tree from the road. A tow truck removed the vehicle. SES crews departed the scene at 3.30pm. “We responded to 10 calls over the weekend, but that was obviously during a storm event,” Ms Hunter said. “After heavy rain and strong winds we get a lot of calls around here.“
Ms Hunter said that most of the calls were about trees falling over roads. While this incident on the Black Spur was a tragic accident, Ms Hunter did have some advice for motorists travelling through the area. “For any road, it’s just a matter of monitoring conditions before you go, especially if there is heavy wind and rainfall," she said. “Sticking to the speed limit and just always be prepared is probably the best advice. “Always be prepared for the unexpected.” Yarra Ranges Highway Patrol officers are investigating and will prepare a report for the Coroner. 12420981-CG34-19
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