The image of a young man in an induced coma has made a community group more determined than ever to get work finally done to improve Currarong Road.
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Elijah Skillen was seriously injured in a car cash on Currarong Road on Saturday, October 12.
The 17-year old's injuries include broken collarbones, four broken ribs, a fractured skull, fractured pelvis, fractured hand, a collapsed lung and bleeding on the brain.
A 'gofund me' appeal has been set up for Elijah - see details below.
President of the Currarong Progress Association, Tony Lund, has been leading the campaign to fix the road and is more determined than ever to get it (the road) improved.
"The feelings I had when I heard about the accident were of anger and frustration that we've finally had the accident that we have been predicting for many years, given the state of the road. I felt extreme apprehension about the injuries sustained by those involved," he said.
"We (the residents) live with this fear constantly so, unfortunately, expect it. However, it still comes as a shock."
He truly feels for 17-year-old Elijah, an Erowal Bay resident, his family and friends.
"I'm devastated that this young man is fighting for his life and really feel for the trauma his mum and brother, and his many friends, are going through," he said.
"By all accounts, he is a great kid with his whole life in front of him and now he has a huge fight on his hands to survive this and come through it.
"The whole of the Currarong community feels for him."
The residents say the state of the road is not acceptable.
The South Coast Register's Damian McGill was taken on a drive on what was a bumpy and dangerous Currarong Road earlier this year and conditions have not changed.
"No community should live with this and it's the only road we can use," Mr Lund said.
"Imagine if you are the parent of a young p-plater that needs to use the road every day for study or work.
"Every time they use the road you are worried that they will be okay."
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Mr Lund said the road is dangerous and a mess.
The Progress Association won't stop until the road is fixed.
"It's totally unforgiving with cars passing each other in a 100 km zone within a width of five metres," he said.
"This community deserves better and people still have no choice in using the road, most on a daily basis, but every time they do so they are aware of the risk to their own lives and others."
The association continues to lobby to get the road improved.
"We will keep lobbying government and council. We will continue to write letters to council, local members of parliament and ministers," he said.
"We will highlight the issue through media and petitions.
"A letter-writing campaign is a possibility and we will try to put out the message in any way possible to people using the road, that it is dangerous, to try to prevent any further tragedies."
Go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/elijah-skillen-recovery-fund to support Elijah.
Meanwhile, State Member for the South Coast Shelley Hancock will support the association.
As the road is under Shoalhaven City Council jurisdiction Mrs Hancock recently made representation again to council's chief executive officer outlining the community's concern at the condition of Currarong Road, requesting his advice on any progress to upgrade Currarong Road and the status of any new applications for funding to address the safety issues on the local road.
Mrs Hancock will support any funding application from Council to upgrade Currarong Road.
Council was also connected for a comment.
