A PETITION has been launched to lobby for safety improvements to the road where the Cardross tragedy occurred.
More than 18 years ago, six teenagers were killed and four seriously injured, when a car struck the group on Myall Street, near the intersection of Boobook Avenue.
One of the survivors Marco Medici, who was declared clinically dead for seven minutes, went public with his recovery story in September this year, launching a book titled The Night the Phones Went Silent.
Three chapters of the book are dedicated to ways Mr Medici and book author Nathan Currie would like to see the road improved.
The chapters referenced the criminal trial in 2008 where a major collision investigator determined that the driver had a delayed perception and reaction to a curve in the road.
The prosecution had argued that, among other factors, the driver was going too fast, not paying attention, and not properly controlling the car while negotiating the bend.
The defence counsel at the time conceded the curve on Myall Street was not sharp, but labelled the approach to the intersection of Boobook Avenue “sub-standard” and without proper signage.
Myall Street, with a 100 km/h speed limit, is a council-owned road, and any signage or alignment changes would need to be arranged by the State Government.
Hoping the book would be a catalyst for change, Mr Medici and Mr Currie recently approached Member for Mildura Jade Benham.
She provided a copy of the book to Minister for Roads and Road Safety Melissa Horne when it was first released.
After discussing the matter with Ms Benham, a petition was launched last week, calling for better lighting, a reduction of the Myall Street speed limit to 80 km/h, and more signage at both approaches to the intersection.
“Hopefully everything goes well,” Mr Medici said.
“Even if the petition doesn’t go as good as we think, I think council should just jump on board anyway.
“They already know the road’s inadequate, it’s proven in court, and nothing has been changed for 18 years, so let’s get those little changes done and move forward.”
While the petition is underway, Mildura Rural City Council’s engineering development team has confirmed it is undertaking an investigation on this intersection.
A formal response will be provided to Ms Benham’s office by Friday, January 31, 2025.
The petition also called for a “more suitable location approval for a memorial in honor (sic) of those we lost”.
“Not to remove the (existing) plaque, because we would never do that, but to have a new one in a safer location,” Mr Medici said.
“We’ve offered to pay for it, we just need some land.”
Mr Medici and Mr Currie will be at Mildura Central on Sunday between 10am and 5pm to promote the petition.
As of Friday morning, there had been 45 signatories.
The petition can be found by searching online Cardross tragedy petition, and will be accessible online until January 31.
