It was a day few in the region will forget.
On April 20, 2023, five lives were lost on the Murray Valley Hwy-Labaun Rd intersection at Strathmerton when a car driven by local Debbie Markey, 62, was hit by another vehicle, which had allegedly failed to give way, and pushed in front of an oncoming truck.
Ms Markey, her four passengers (Pin-Yu Wang, Hsin-Yu Chen, Wai Yan Lam and Zih-Yao Chen), who were foreign workers residing in the area, and her dog were all killed.
One year later, Moira Shire chair of panel of administrators John Tanner is reminding the community to be safe on the region’s roads.
“Our whole community was deeply affected by the tragic collision last April, which claimed the lives of five people,” he said.
“The past 12 months have been harsh on Moira Shire roads, with 12 fatalities recorded. This toll is too high.”
Mr Tanner urged drivers to slow down, avoid distractions, and drive to conditions,
“Driver behaviour is the single most important factor in preventing accidents on the road,” he said.
“Moira Shire Council continues to advocate for safety on our roads in alignment with the objectives of the Victorian Road Safety Strategy 2021-2030, aiming to create safer rural roads for all users.”
With the anniversary of that terrible crash, Mr Tanner is reminding residents of the memorial placed in Federation Park, Cobram, in the wake of the crash.
“It serves as a site to show our reverence and commemorate the lives lost on our roads — not only in the past year but before that too.”