Rainy Victorian highways spawn potholes that shred six cars
Heavy rain exposed sharp-edged potholes on Victorian highways, damaging at least six vehicles in one Gippsland hotspot.
After heavy rain swept through Victoria since Thursday night, large potholes opened up on highways and regional roads, blowing out tyres and stranding drivers. At Rosedale on the Princes Highway, one woman hit a pothole so large she couldn't avoid it without crashing into another car.
Karen Ester's tyre blew instantly. Ester then stood in the rain with a pink umbrella to warn more than 50 oncoming drivers of the same hazard, which damaged at least five other vehicles.
A family in a brand new car hit two potholes and needed a tow truck. Poor road maintenance has become a hot election issue ahead of Victoria's November poll.
An auditor-general's report found almost half of Victoria's state-managed roads are in very poor condition.
- Thursday night
- Rain onset
- Rosedale, Princes Highway
- Location
- at least 6
- Vehicles damaged
- more than 50
- Drivers warned
Why it mattersPotholes are damaging cars and putting drivers at risk. With elections coming, road conditions are now a key issue for voters.
AustraliaVictorian drivers face rising repair costs and safety risks when travelling. The government has promised to fix 500,000 potholes this year at a cost of $352 million, while the Coalition proposes a $5 billion road rebuild if elected.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
Open this story in InSnip →
