A motorcyclist has died while riding along the Western Highway in Trawalla.
A statement from Victoria Police said “emergency services responded to reports a motorcycle had struck a pothole and lost control”.
What happened? Peter Mason, aged 71, was travelling on a stretch of the Western Highway in Trawalla when his bike reportedly struck a pothole.
Emergency services responded at 12.50pm, but Mason died at the scene.
Also known as Tiki, Mason was a retired spray painter and president of the Eureka Social Riders, a social hobby group for local motorcyclists.
The bigger picture: The accident comes while the state of regional Victorian roads remains a popular subject of debate for residents and both major parties heading into the November state election.
In the last few years, roads throughout West Vic have been damaged extensively.
Record floods and stormweather during 2022 and 2023 saw more than 150 roads closed, with several remaining saturated for months.
This saturation debilitated the road, creating a sizable vulnerability to pothole formation worsened by heavy truck traffic on regional routes.
The potholes are a well-known danger in the region, with main roads riddled, impacting daily journeys for locals.
What people said: Martha Haylett, Labor MP for Ripon, told the Brolga she is “devastated by this news”, and that “no one should ever lose their life on our roads and that’s why we have to fix them and do it properly”.
“Our roads are not good enough and I have been pushing the Roads Minister and others to begin repair works urgently,” Haylett said. “Works started last week along the Western Highway at Trawalla but still have a way to go”.
Premier Ben Carroll said it was a “tragic loss of life”, and told ABC Radio Melbourne that he accepted responsibility for the condition of the roads, stating “the buck does stop with us”.
Jess Wilson, leader of the state opposition, said the accident was “avoidable”.
“A 71-year old man, Peter Mason, went out on a Sunday afternoon for a ride with a mate and he didn’t come home. He should have,” Wilson told reporters Monday.
“Victoria’s roads have been left in a state of disrepair, and now a man has lost his life.”
What next? Victoria Police said in a statement that “the exact circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be determined and will be investigated”.
They are urging anyone who witnessed the crash or has CCTV/dashcam footage to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit an online confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Header image: Hogs, Cog's and Two Aussie Flogs