On 30 August at 3 a.m a koala was killed in the St. Helena Tunnel west of Byron Bay.
However, the RMS monitors, who monitor the tunnel 24/7, did everything in their power to prevent this happening. They saw the koala and immediately closed the right lane and called our Rescue Hotline to report the animal, which appeared to be slightly injured but certainly still alive.
As well as closing the right lane, they reduced the speed limit and set VMS warning of the animal. For 45 minutes all drivers were obeying traffic directives, while waiting for our rescuer – Susannah – to arrive. Unfortunately a Lindsay Truck driver ignored traffic directions of the lane closure, to keep left, and drove over the Koala which was in the right hand lane.