'Lucky to be alive' Motorcyclist seeking compensation after serious crash

Dion Sell, 51, was riding his Harley Davidson from Darlington to Camperdown on July 7, 2023.

He was travelling on the Darlington-Camperdown Road - a route which he uses regularly - about 4pm.

"I was riding along at about 90kmh in a 100kmh zone," Mr Sell said.

"It had rained a little bit, but it had stopped.

"I was on a very slight bend near the Bookaar fire station and my tyre just slipped out from under me."

Mr Sell said his bike travelled about 20 metres before coming to rest in a nearby drain.

He felt immediate pain in his left knee, but was lucky he was able to call his nephew and brother for help.

"They came with a ute and got my bike out of the ditch."

Mr Sell said a man who lived nearby also came to offer assistance.

"A local farmer came down and asked if I was ok. He said 'you're the fifth vehicle in four weeks to come off here - I'm forever down here with my tractor'."

Mr Sell said by the time he got home, his knee had swollen and he was unable to stand on it.

He now has to undergo surgery for a torn meniscus and it's believed he also damaged his right knee in the crash.

Mr Sell said he had been concerned about the dire state of the road on many occasions prior to the accident.

He said he knows he is very lucky to be alive.

"I didn't get a tear in my leather jacket or my pants or anything because the road is so smooth - it hasn't been resurfaced for years," he said.

Mr Sell, who has lived and worked in mines in Western Australia for a number of years, said he was shocked by the state of Victorian roads when he returned to the state.

"It's beyond a joke," he said.

"The roads in and out of Warrnambool are shocking in every direction."

Mr Sell is working with Shine Lawyers and is seeking compensation for his medical costs, the cost of repairing his bike and income lost.

He said he was unable to return to work as a fitter and turner and had to turn down a lucrative job offer in New Zealand.

Mr Sell said he wanted immediate action taken on the section of road.

He said the speed limit was reduced to 80kmh about a month after his accident, but he feared someone would be killed.

Member for Western Victoria Bev McArthur said the state of the road, like many roads in rural Victoria, was shockingly poor.

"In August last year I raised the matter in parliament noting that consequences weren't just lost time or damaged vehicles, but that 'worse still, multiple drivers and riders have left the road on one corner near the Bookaar fire shed and tragically, one man hit two trees and was airlifted to Melbourne in a critical state'," Ms McArthur said.

In response to her concerns, Roads Minister Melissa Horne said the speed limit had been temporarily reduced.

"To keep people safe on our roads, the Department of Transport and Planning (DTP) temporarily reduced the speed limit on Darlington Road to 80km/h, due to crashes and community concerns," Ms Horne said.

"Darlington Road has recently been inspected and minor repairs have been undertaken.

"The speed limit is planned to return to 100kmh, with additional slippery when wet advisory signs of 80kmh to be installed."

Shine Lawyers solicitor Cedrick Rwabutozi said Mr Sell was an experienced rider.

"Dion's an experienced rider and has used that road for decades, so for an injury like this to happen to somebody like him shows something's very wrong with that road," Mr Rwabutozi said.

"It's clear the situation is only going to get worse the longer this stretch of road is neglected.

"I don't know how many more crashes it's going to take before something is done, but I sincerely hope action is taken before it's too late."

His comments come after a number of residents raised concerns about the state of the Princes Highway between Warrnambool and Port Fairy.