Imagine travelling behind this teetering load of hay at 110km/h on the Western Freeway.
It happened to the 11-year-old girl, Myrtle, who took these photos in the Melbourne-bound lanes at Pykes Creek and Myrniong at 10.40am on Tuesday.
More than 15km later, the young family saw the truck, and its terrifying load, being pulled over by police at the western-most exit to Bacchus Marsh.
"I felt really unsafe," Myrtle's mother said.
"It was hanging off the truck at a 30 degree angle.
"Those are not ordinary hay bales. They're big square things.
"Can you imagine what would have happened if that had hit someone - or hit the road and spread everywhere?
"You'd be going 110km/h and wouldn't be able to see through the windscreen."
The sedan driver said the semitrailer appeared to have loose or inadequate ratchet straps.
She also said the truck struggled to stay in its lane.
After multiple triple-zero calls, Bacchus Marsh police confirmed they pulled over a semitrailer and cautioned the driver just before 11am.
Officers said the load of compressed hay was initially stacked correctly, but had shifted between South Australia and that part of the freeway.
The driver told police they were making their way to a Melton depot to fix the issue.
No infringement notices or charges were laid.
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Gabrielle Hodson
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
'All-rounder' journalist since 1993. I've worked in print, radio, TV & online as well as radio & TV producing and radio presenting. Working on Wadawurrung land. There are 7.9 billion stories out there. I'd love to hear yours...
