By Shamsiya Hussainpoor
A dramatic rescue operation unfolded early Saturday morning at 1.18am, when an Uber driver became trapped on Hacketts Road in Olinda, an area known for its notorious steep inclines and narrow, dangerous roads.
This latest incident occurred after an Uber driver attempted to navigate the treacherous road to pick up passengers from a nearby property.
According to Kallista CFA’s firefighter, Bill Pizzey, the driver tried to reverse after struggling to make it up the steep incline, but ended up wedged in a nearly one-metre-deep culvert.
“We were told the driver was stuck in such a precarious position that if he took his foot off the brake, the car would slide further down the hill,” Mr Pizzey said.
“Thankfully, no one was injured, but it was a close call.”
The rescue required significant effort from emergency responders, with eight vehicles attending the scene, including two trucks each from the Kallista, Monbulk, and Olinda CFA units, as well as police and ambulance crews.
The trapped driver was removed from the vehicle safely, but the car remained stuck in the culvert for several hours, according to Kallista CFA.
The CFA members who attended the incident have raised serious concerns about the continued safety risks on Hacketts Road, with the situation exacerbated by missing and damaged road signs.
Bill Pizzey said this intersection, in particular, has long been a safety issue for both locals and visitors.
“There are clear warning signs that this is a four-wheel-drive only area, but they’re either knocked over or missing altogether,” he said.
“The intersection is also extremely dark at night, making it difficult for drivers to see where they’re going.”
While Mr Pizzey pointed to Google Maps and Uber as being partly to blame for sending drivers up the road, he emphasised that the issue is far from new.
“We’ve been dealing with this for over a decade, and it’s crazy that it’s still happening, emergency resources are being wasted, and Uber drivers are left paying hefty towing fees just to get their cars out of here,” he said.
This isn’t the first time Hacketts Road has been the site of incidents involving stuck cars.
“We can confirm that Hacketts Road has been excluded from our navigation since it was last reported in August, 2024,” an Uber spokesperson said.
According to Mr Pizzey, there have been up to 25 similar cases in recent year, he said the problem is only worsened by the poor reception in the area, making it difficult for people to contact help when they get stuck.
CFA members are calling for change, and the Yarra Ranges Council is aware of the ongoing issue.
Yarra Ranges Council’s director of built environment and infrastructure, Hjalmar Philipp commented on the matter, acknowledging the safety concerns.
“We’re aware of consistent safety issues with drivers on Hacketts Road,” Mr Philipp said.
“Despite our efforts to contact navigation services like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Uber to request re-routing, we continue to see drivers being sent up this road.”
He said the theft and damage of important road signs as a major contributing factor.
“The photo-luminescent signs at the Perrins Creek Road intersection have been stolen and damaged repeatedly, we encourage anyone with information to contact Crime Stoppers Victoria,” he said.
In response to these issues, the council is exploring potential solutions, including making Hacketts Road a one-way street from Olinda-Monbulk Road to Perrins Creek Road.
“We’ve recently sent a letter to property owners on Hacketts Road to gauge support for this idea,” Mr Philipp said.
“By making the road one-way, we could reduce the risk of drivers becoming stuck or causing accidents, while still allowing local residents convenient access.”
The council is currently reviewing feedback from the community and will provide further updates in the coming months.
In the meantime, the local CFAs are urging drivers to avoid Hacketts Road unless they have a four-wheel-drive vehicle.
Google Maps and Apple Maps have been reached out to for comments.
With ongoing issues, and no signs of improvement, Mr Pizzey remains hopeful that a permanent solution will soon be put in place to prevent further accidents and close calls.
