An Albion Park Rail woman driving her daughter to school narrowly avoided a head-on with a ute driving the wrong way on the controversial Oak Flats interchange
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On Monday morning, Emma Gassman was taking her eight-year-old daughter to school when she entered the interchange over the Princes Highway.
As the dashcam footage she recorded showed, she made her way around and was suddenly confronted by a white ute heading straight for her.
It was on a one-lane section of the interchange, so there was nowhere for Ms Gassman to go.
"You can see from the footage it was quite last-minute," Ms Gassman said.
"You can’t see anything and then all of a sudden, they’re there.
"I slammed my foot on the brake and I knew that someone was going to hit me from behind. I didn't have any warning and they would have had even less warning.
"The poor woman that hit me was distraught. In no way was it her fault although the law says it is, because she’s rear-ended me."
As for the white ute going the wrong way, well he "simply took off as quickly as he could after he’d seen that he caused an accident". Ms Gassman said.
But she captured his number plate on her dashcam - and even said it out loud after the near miss so the audio on the camera would pick it up.
The dashcam footage has been handed over to Lake Illawarra police, who are investigating the incident.
You can’t see anything and then all of a sudden, they’re there.
- Emma Gassman
Chief Inspector Paul Allman said police are working to identify the driver.
"They have spoken to the registered owner and we're making inquiries to locate and speak to the driver with a view to action being taken," Insp Allman said.
This could include a charge of negligent driving or a court attendance notice.
Insp Allman said the driver was from out of the area and unfamiliar with the interchange.
"We're making inquiries to examine his licence status and capabilities of holding a licence," he said.
Insp Allman said a witness to the incident contacted police on Friday and if anyone else saw it they are asked to call Lake Illawarra police 4232 5599 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Ms Gassman said she used the interchange regularly and said it causes confusion for many motorists.
"I've seen so many near misses and I’ve been witness to a lot of other accidents," she said.
"You see the aftermath of it when they’re on all the side of the road exchanging details."
Glen Humphries
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
I'm an award-winning senior journalist with the Illawarra Mercury and have well over two decades' worth of experience in newspapers. I cover the three local councils in the Illawarra for the Mercury, state and federal politics, as well as writing for the TV guide. If I'm not writing, I'm reading.
