After surviving a head-on collision on the Riddoch Hwy, Maaoupe farmer Neil Engler wants to know why the Transport Department plants its trees so close to our main roads and highways.

“It’s dangerous for everyone, not just me,” he said after arriving home from hospital 24 hours after the accident.

Aside from getting knocked unconscious, his injuries included a cracked vertebrae, bruised kidneys, severe bruising from seat belt and an injured and cut knee.

“I’m feeling pretty bruised and beaten up, but I will be okay,” Mr Engler said.

“But I really want to know why the Transport Department plants trees so close to the edge of the road.”

Around two weeks ago, Mr Engler was travelling north on the Riddoch Hwy towards his farm at Maaoupe, halfway between Coonawarra and Bool Lagoon.

He had been tending to some business in Mount Gambier and was on his way home.

The last thing Mr Engler recalls was that he had nowhere to go before the accident.

The trees along the edge of the Riddoch Hwy were blocking any possible pathway off the road to avoid the crash.

“Why does the department plant trees so close to the edge of the road,” he asked.

“I blacked out when the airbags went off at the point of collision. I was unconscious after that.

“The accident happened just after the Penola bypass (while travelling north).”

While several locals remembered the trees being planted, Mr Engler said “you only have to look at them to know they were not naturally there – they were planted.”

Mr Engler was the driver of a Toyota ute “only a couple of years old” and after the crash was taken to the Mount Gambier hospital by ambulance.

He was discharged the following day to go home to the farm, with the pain and injuries.

According to news reports the following day, both drivers involved were taken to Mount Gambier hospital with “non-life-threatening injuries”.

The other person, a driver of a Toyota 4WD was a 51-year-old Mount Gambier woman. She was reportedly issued an expiation notice for dangerous lane change and fined by police after the crash.

Mr Engler’s son has since taken him to Adelaide for further medical tests and treatment.

Regarding roadside tree planting, The [Naracoorte] News sought comment from the media adviser for SA Transport minister Tom Koutsantonis.

A Department for Infrastructure and Transport spokesperson responded.

She said the department was committed to prioritising road safety “while recognising the need to balance environmental and habitat preservation across the road network”.

“Trees in road reserves are often naturally occurring, rather than planted, particularly in regional areas where they can be the last remaining area of remnant native vegetation in a highly cleared landscape,” she said.

“When undertaking landscaping in road reserves, tree planting must achieve the minimum setbacks and sight distances as prescribed in Austroads Guides to Road Design and Traffic Management.

“Decisions regarding the placement of new trees in medians and roadsides are informed by a risk assessment which takes into consideration road users’ exposure, crash likelihood and severity outcomes in the event of a crash.

“The department’s maintenance contractors closely monitor the road network, including vegetation growth, and conduct regular fortnightly inspections to identify issues and conduct repairs as they arise.

“Our contractors are responsible for maintaining vegetation up to (one) metre behind the guidepost, beyond which is the responsibility of the local council.

“The department will undertake an assessment of the trees on Riddoch Hwy near Coonawarra by the end of August.

“Anyone who notices a road maintenance issue requiring urgent attention – including overgrown vegetation – is urged to report it to the Traffic Management Centre on 1800 018 313. This number can be called 24 hours a day.”

This article appeared in The Naracoorte News, 30 July 2025.