A Bethungra woman has heaped praise on a selfless group of locals who rushed to her aid when her car plunged into a ditch outside the Junee Licorice and Chocolate Factory on Monday.
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Gladys Bak was reversing out of her park at the factory on the busy public holiday when her car suddenly tipped into a small, steep drainage corridor on Lord Street.
Seconds later, several onlookers dashed to the scene while another man driving past in his ute stopped to lend a hand.
The ute owner promptly towed Mrs Bak’s car out of the ditch, while the others lifted the car from behind.
Mrs Bak said that while she did not get the names of the helpful group of men, she was extremely grateful for their collective efforts.
“If I had to call the NRMA, I could've been sitting there for hours,” she said.
“Instead, it was all over in 20 minutes.
“I was just so appreciative of their time.
“We didn't even ask anyone for help, but they dropped everything and helped anyway.
“It shows how people feel towards each other.”
Mrs Bak said the experience was quite unnerving, stating the car was well and truly wedged.
“If we had been a little further in, the car could’ve tipped over,” she said.
“As the driver got out, the car went backwards a bit, and I was on the passenger side and could barely get out.”
The Bethungra local has since called for a barrier to be installed beside the steep drop, saying it posed a significant safety hazard.
“We need something to notify motorists so they’re aware of it before they get too close,” she said.
“What happens if someone doesn't see it in the middle of the night?
“One of the fellows who helped out lives across the road and said this happens all the time.”
Junee Shire Council director of engineering services Will Barton said he had not received any reports of cars falling into drainage structures anywhere in town.
“If it proves to be a common occurrence and poses a significant risk to the community, we will look into it,” he said.
“But it isn't the only structure in town that poses some sort of a risk and it will be prioritised along with all of the other competing projects.”
Mr Barton urged residents to exercise caution in the meantime.
“People have to take responsibility for their own actions,” he said.
“If you stray from the road and drive close to a corner like that, it’s always going to pose a risk.”
