Daniel Soar was recently hit by a car along Narre Warren North Road as he tried to cross. His father, Tony, has since called on council to finish building footpaths along the busy stretch of road so children are not forced to cross it.By Rebecca Fraser
AN angry father of three has slammed the lack of footpaths on Narre Warren North Road after his 16 year-old son was hit by a car.
Narre Warren North resident Tony Soar said incomplete sections of footpath between Crawley Road and Ernst Wanke Road were forcing children to cross the road before they reached a controlled inter-section.
Mr Soar, a volunteer firefighter with the Narre Warren North CFA, said his son, Daniel Soar, was lucky to be alive following the incident, and warned that someone else would be seriously injured or killed if the matter was not addressed.
Daniel, a student at Eumemmerring Secondary College in Hallam, was riding his bike to school at the time of the incident and underwent surgery to his calf muscle and was given 41 stitches after the collision.
His father said the year 11 student also suffered abrasions and scratches and faced ongoing rehabilitation.
“The whole point is that the kids should be crossing up at the lights at Ernst Wanke Road, but instead they have to cross the road half way, as the path ends near Brundrett’s Estate, and they are stuck in scrub,” Mr Soar said.
In a further blow, Daniel was charged with negligent riding and given a $52 fine following the collision.
This move deeply angered Mr Soar who said kids had no choice but to try and cross the road.
“If there was a proper path on both sides of the road, the kids would not have to cross over.
“More kids are going to get bowled over if nothing is done about this.
“He (Daniel) is so lucky to be alive. He was trying to move from the path and went down onto the roadway and his bike went too far and the car got him.
“It was a pure accident and was not the driver’s fault, but it just shows the difficulties that children are having trying to get to school,” he said.
Mr Soar said the accident had greatly disrupted his son’s studies and being told that Daniel had been in an accident was the worst experience of his life.
“They said he was being taken to The Alfred,” Mr Soar said.
“I have been a volunteer with the CFA for years and I know that no one goes to The Alfred for a couple of scratches. Then they rang back and said he was going to Dandenong (Hospital).”
Mr Soar said he was very frustrated by the situation as further accidents could easily be prevented.
“I have put in with Narre Warren North CFA for 13 years and this is what really gets up my goat.
“I have attended so many bad accidents and pulled so many young people out of cars, but accidents like this can be prevented,” he said.
Narre Warren North MP Luke Donnellan has also called for the matter to be urgently addressed to ensure that pedestrians and cyclists can travel safely.
City of Casey traffic manager Paul Hamilton said it was in council’s plans to complete the paths.
“It has been identified in our linking paths strategy but there are a number of other projects in front of it. It is unlikely that the paths will be completed within the next 12 months.
“Until this happens, people are going to have to cross to the other side of the road to pick up the other path.
“This is unfortunate, but it is a matter of timing and the path will be completed in the future,” he said.
