A Sunshine Coast motorist says a split-second decision likely prevented a serious crash when a pedestrian walked into her path on a section of road in Yandina.
Jessica Thompson, 23, was driving home to Nambour about 8pm earlier this month when the incident happened on Nambour Connection Road alongside Yandina Caravan Park.
She said she noticed a man on the roadside before he stepped out in front of her vehicle in a 60km/h zone, forcing her to cross a double-barrier line.
“I just saw him standing on the side of the road and then he started to walk out in front of me,” Ms Thompson, who has been driving for six years, told Sunshine Coast News.
“I thought he was going to stop, but he just kept walking, so I had to quickly swerve onto the other side of the road.”
Dash-cam footage shows the pedestrian crossing the two-lane road without using a pedestrian refuge island located in the centre median.
The corridor is managed by the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR), which confirmed infrastructure was already in place to assist pedestrians.
“A pedestrian refuge with lighting has been constructed on Nambour Connection Road to support pedestrians crossing between the bus stop and the Yandina Caravan park,” a spokesperson said.
“The lighting at the pedestrian refuge is operational and provides visibility to the pedestrian refuge and pedestrians at the crossing.
“TMR encourages all pedestrians to use the designated crossing facilities and look for approaching vehicles before crossing the road to ensure their safety.”
The experience left Ms Thompson shaken and contemplating how differently it could have ended.
“My heart was racing. It was pretty scary,” she said.
“If there had been a car coming the other way, it could have been a serious crash.”
She believes the man had crossed from a bus stop opposite the caravan park and said lighting improvements could provide increased for both drivers and pedestrians.
“If there’s a bus stop there, people are going to cross. Lights would definitely help with visibility,” she said.
The near miss has changed how she approaches the area when driving at night.
“You just think – what if I didn’t see him until the last second?” she said.
What would I have had to live with for the rest of my life?”
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Member for Nicklin Marty Hunt said his office had not received recent formal complaints about pedestrian safety at the location but encouraged residents to report concerns.
“There is a pedestrian refuge near the bus stop on this section, and we urge all pedestrians to use it whenever crossing to stay safe.
“As always, I’m happy to advocate on behalf of locals and continue to work with North Coast TMR to make our roads safer.”
Renae Barton, manager of Yandina Caravan Park, believed the absence of pedestrian connections to nearby services created risks for visitors.
“I have had people run out in front of me on the road,” Ms Barton told SCN.
“There’s no safe crossing or a pathway on the side of the road.
“It’s common sense not to run across traffic, but it would benefit to have a proper crossing.”
SCN was unable to source road crash incident data from TMR or Queensland Police by the time of publication.
