A State Coroner has called for an urgent installation of warning signs at a level-crossing blackspot where a Dandenong South-based truckie was killed in late 2023.
John Frank Stubbs, 30, of Frankston South, sustained fatal injuries when his truck’s trailer got stuck at a railway level crossing at North Shore Road, near Geelong and was struck by a train.
The experienced driver from Membrey’s Transport and Crane Hire at Dandenong South drove a prime mover to Lara, picking up a 16-tonne load to deliver to Corio on 11 December 2023.
During his trip to Corio, a pilot vehicle safely crossed the North Shore road tracks but Stubbs’s trailer “bottomed out” and was stuck just after noon.
Moments later, the level crossing lights, sirens and boom gates activated.
Stubbs had enough time to get out of the way of the train but re-entered the truck in a likely last-ditch effort to try to avert a collision, according to a coronial investigator.
Two men in the pilot vehicle said they believed Stubbs tried in vain to raise the low-rider trailer using the hydraulics system.
The approaching train driver saw two men waving their arms toward him as he rounded an 80km/h speed curve.
In vain, he applied emergency brakes about 222 metres away, but struck the trailer.
Stubbs was thrown from the truck and under the train. He died at the scene.
A coronial investigator Leading Senior Constable Robert Nuske examined the 200-millimetre-plus gradient at the crossing – the scene of 37 incidents since 2017.
“Most vehicles and semi-trailers that cross the intersection would clear this gradient easily,“ he stated.
“Low loader semi-trailers would need to make the necessary adjustments.
“If you are unfamiliar with this crossing, then it would be too late to turn around due to the sheer size of your truck and trailer.”
According to a 2022 Australian Level Crossing Assessment Model survey, the level crossing was ranked the 17th riskiest in Victoria.
Despite this, there had been no upgrades to it since Stubbs’s death, Deputy Coroner Paresa Spanos reported on 17 October.
VicRoads and Greater Geelong had however closed one lane to force heavy vehicles to take a wider approach on the crossing.
A National Heavy Vehicle Regulators route planner and network map now states the crossing is unsuitable for vehicles longer than 20 metres – due to the risk of short-stacking, rather than referring to the gradient.
The deputy coroner said Stubbs’s truck didn’t become stuck because of a fault or lack of maintenance of the track, nor due to careless driving or failing to respect the level crossing’s safety features.
“It appears that the incident was due to Mr Stubbs being unaware of the gradient slope of the level and how it would impact his journey.”
A V/Line review identified the level crossing roadway’s “vertical geometry” was non-compliant with its current standard.
Deputy Coroner Spanos recommended that signage was urgently required at the North Shore Road level crossing to forewarn drivers of its “problematic gradient”.
This would allow them to pull over to adjust their hydraulics or seek an alternative route.
“This would appear to be a relatively simple strategy to help prevent similar incidents resulting in deaths or significant injury.”
The deputy coroner stated the installation of a warning system for train drivers and prohibiting trucks from using the rail crossing during certain times was unlikely to be installed in the near future, if at all.
