THE son of a man killed on Batemans Bay’s ‘mad mile’ has appealed for the 90km/h speed limit to be dropped on the treacherous stretch of Princes Highway.
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James Bugden, 33, was on Thursday, September 4, tending the roadside shrine to Max Bugden, who died on February 15 after his car collided with another vehicle just shy of the 70km/h zone, at Bateman Bay's southern entrance.
James said his father’s accident was the second within ten minutes on the same day, on the same corner, in the 90km/h zone.
“Another two cars were in an accident ten minutes before Dad,” he said, indicating a steel post bent to the ground by the impact of the first crash.
James said his father, a newcomer to the Eurobodalla, was a safe driver, who came to grief heading north, on a wet day, on a notorious corner.
““As far as I know, he just slid out,” James said.
“It is just a bad corner.
“He slid into another car.
“He had only just retired and moved down here.
“He was adamant about safety.”
James is not sure what should be done to improve safety on the steep and winding stretch between Batemans Bay and Mogo, but thinks a slower speed limit would be a start.
“They should pull the speed zone back, at least through the bad part,” he said.
According to Roads and Maritime Services, there were 65 crashes in the five years to January on the stretch of highway between Batemans Bay and Mogo.
A woman was last month trapped in her vehicle after another accident on the stretch.
Mr Bugden yesterday was taking time out from his job at Woolworths to tend the shrine he built for his water-loving dad from a water ski, boat propeller, river rocks and flowers.
He had just finished spraying the ski and rocks with a clear protective coat.
“I probably come at least once a week, sometimes three,” he said.
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