By Taylah Eastwell
Labour Day long weekend turned into a weekend of “mayhem” and heartache for many across the Yarra Ranges, with one man sadly losing his life and many others conveyed to hospital with serious injuries.
A beloved Cockatoo father and owner of Last Frontier Tattoo’s in Upwey, Jamin Swaneveld, sadly lost his life when riding his motorbike in Emerald on Saturday 6 March.
Investigators believe Mr Swaneveld was travelling west on Belgrave Gembrook Road when he collided into a vehicle turning into Olgivy Road around 9.45am.
The driver, a 37-year-old Narre Warren man, stopped at the scene. He has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and has been bailed to appear at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on 12 March.
Members of the Hills community have dug deep to support Mr Swaneveld’s family following the tragedy, with a GoFundMe campaign set up for the family currently sitting at just over $46,000.
On Sunday 7 March, a blue Mazda was travelling west on Wellington Road when it veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with a Holden utility towing a horse-float.
The driver of the Mazda and a passenger in the Holden were transported to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The horse was freed from the damaged float with the assistance of veterinarians and the Macclesfield CFA large animal rescue team.
Anyone with information or dash cam footage is urged to contact Senior Constable McGregor at Knox Highway Patrol.
In the Valley, a woman was airlifted to The Alfred following a head on collision in Woori Yallock on Sunday 7 March.
The Warburton Highway incident occurred around 2.45pm.
The 36-year-old woman was airlifted in a serious but stable condition, according to Ambulance Victoria. A school-aged boy and a young girl were also transported to hospital, both in a stable condition following the head-on collision.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Leading Senior Constable Brett McCormick at Lilydale Police Station.
Lilydale SES Unit Controller Shaun Caulfield said his unit was only called to one minor incident over the weekend, but described the weekend as “mayhem” for other emergency services in the region.
“As always, it’s a timely reminder with increased traffic on the roads and a bit of rain on Monday afternoon that people need to drive to the conditions and change the way they drive when the conditions change,” Mr Caulfield said.
“People might be fatigued after the long weekend, might be towing caravans or trailers which they might not always have behind, all of these things together, as well as inattention for whatever the cause, increase the risk of these crashes,” he said.
State-wide, Victoria recorded four fatalities on our roads.
Victoria Police’s Operation Arid, which ran from Friday until Monday evening, detected 6762 traffic offences, with 215 drink drivers and 195 drug drivers caught.
263 were caught using their mobile phones while driving.
Other traffic offences detected as part of the operation included:
• 2906 speeding offences
• 161 disqualified/suspended drivers
• 239 unlicensed drivers
• 724 unregistered vehicles
• 385 disobey signs/signals
• 113 vehicle impounds
• 128 seatbelt offences.
Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Libby Murphy said road trauma is preventable.
“While police saw the majority of people do the right thing on our roads, too many people were selfishly putting their lives, and the lives of others, at risk.”
“All we ask is for people to have a little more patience and care on our roads so that everybody can arrive at their destinations safely.”
