General News
24 November, 2025
Trauma reaches beyond the crash site
EMERGENCY service organisations are urging drivers to slow down and avoid unnecessary risks with road deaths taking an enormous toll on volunteers. It follows an horrific accident recently at Stoneleigh where three people were killed. For the small Ararat SES unit, the surge in call-outs has been confronting.
Unit Controller Dylan West said the pace and severity of recent incidents is taking an emotional toll on his team.
“We’ve had quite a few traumatic jobs this year, I think we’re up to about 25 with deaths involved,” he said.
“The Stoneleigh crash last week caused a lot of mental stress on some of our volunteers, so we reached out and got relief crews in from Bacchus Marsh and Sunbury.”
Six additional SES members were deployed to support the Ararat crew in the aftermath of the Stoneleigh accident.
Dylan said the message to drivers is straightforward, and the excuses are wearing thin.
“What’s the old advertisement? Arrive Alive. It’s honestly that simple,” he said. “If you're late for work, who cares?”
While road conditions are often blamed, Dylan says distraction and inattention remain the biggest risks.
“Everyone is quick to blame the condition of the road, but if you're paying attention and driving to the conditions, there won’t be any issues,” he said.
“The road condition is going to have a part to play, but if you’re not sitting on your phone, you’ll see the pothole and avoid it.”
What concerns him most is the escalation in accidents.
“We were averaging one a month. Now we’re averaging one a week, and that's not fender-benders. That’s significant crashes. It’s been pretty full-on. It's a lot to put on just 15 people.”
The arrival of relief crews, along with SES peer support workers, has been vital in giving local volunteers time and space to process the traumatic events.
“We actually have a lot of support,” Dylan said.
“SES staff were the ones who prompted the relief crews coming in. We also have SES peer support, which came down on the day, and there’s mental health support available to volunteers. It’s nice to have people to talk to who were there, or even who weren’t there but still know the details.”
While road rescue is only part of the SES’s responsibilities, it’s one that is demanding, confronting, and essential. and the need for more volunteers is growing.
“We wouldn’t exist if we didn’t get more volunteers in,” Dylan said.
“We don’t get good enough flow to keep the numbers up.”
He emphasises that there is a place for anyone willing to help.
Whether on the tools, behind the scenes, or simply supporting the unit, every role matters.
With each call-out a reminder of the risks on our roads, the SES is calling for both safer driving and more hands on deck.
For those willing to volunteer, even a small commitment can make a life-saving difference.
Read More: Ararat