Storm havoc

By Tania Martin
IN A bizarre set of events more akin to a Hollywood movie, the hills district was battered with wild conditions on the weekend.
A CFA truck and its crew narrowly escaped injury when they rolled down an embankment near Monbulk, while an Olinda couple lived to tell their story after a tree ripped through their home.
The truck was involved in the accident shortly after 9.13am on Sunday, 14 December, when it was clipped by a car.
Senior Constable David Creek said a man driving the blue Holden VT Commodore was travelling towards Belgrave on Monbulk Road. He said the man was 100 metres from Baynes Park Road when he swerved across the road.
Sen Const Creek said the man panicked when he saw a CFA truck heading towards him. “Instead of swerving back onto his side of the road, the driver veered into the path of the truck,” he said.
Sen Const Creek said the CFA crew from Kallista had been returning to the station after a routine training exercise.
The two vehicles’ passenger-side wheels collided, but it was the truck that came off second best.
Sen Const Creek said the car which only weighed one tonne stayed on the road while the 13-tonne truck rolled down an embankment.
The truck travelled 30 metres down the road before rolling down the embankment to rest just metres from the Monbulk Creek.
“It rolled on its side like a dinosaur and did a three-sixty before landing back on its wheels,” Sen Const Creek said. He said the crew and the other driver escaped without injury. “They were shaken but not stirred … it did a fair bit of damage to the truck but the roll cage system in the truck stood up really well,” Sen Const Creek said.
Heavy haulage equipment had to be brought in to rescue the truck.
Sen Const Creek said the road was closed for more than four hours while the truck was pulled to safety.
He said it was a timely reminder for people to slow down and be more careful when driving in wet conditions.
Just hours earlier, an Olinda couple also narrowly escaped injury after a tree crushed their home.
Andrew Stephens had just walked out of his bedroom when there was a loud crack. His partner was in the kitchen when the tree fell and was also lucky to escape unharmed.
Sen Const Creek said the tree fell shortly after 7.15pm on Saturday night.
“They were both very lucky,” he said.
The tree was one of eight that fell on buildings across the hills keeping emergency services busy.
Emerald SES controller Rob Tillman said crews were on call until 3am Sunday morning and then from 10am to 8pm the same day.
He said the majority of calls were for trees falling on buildings across the hills from Cockatoo to Upwey, Olinda and Monbulk.