Safety plea after Williamstown pedestrian death

Pedestrians have difficulty keeping track of cars coming from different directions at the roundabout. Picture: Google Street View

Williamstown residents have renewed calls for a pedestrian crossing at a major roundabout after a man died while crossing Melbourne Road last Friday.

The 59-year-old Williamstown man was struck by a bus near Ferguson Street just after 6pm.

Police said the exact cause of the collision had yet to be determined.

Customers in the Hot Wings chicken shop saw the crash and reported that the bus driver was hysterical.

Williamstown resident Patrick Walsh said he had crossed at the same spot with a pram about an hour earlier.

“It’s tough to see where people are heading, not always indicating, and the roundabout is not truly round [it is elliptical],” he said.

“The buses have to swing around it at an unnatural angle for a bus, probably creating a blind spot for the driver.

“Crossing with a pram is much harder, so I can only imagine the difficulties for the elderly or wheelchairs.”

Previous accidents

VicRoads regional director Vince Punaro said there were three crashes at the corner of Melbourne Road and Ferguson Street between 2010 and 2015, resulting in two serious injuries.

“We review all types of crashes to understand how we can improve safety for all road users,” he said.

“We will review the circumstances of last Friday’s incident before determining whether any additional improvements to increase safety for pedestrians are required at this intersection.”

Anyone who saw the accident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333000 or make a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au