Emergency services respond to fatal crash in Newcomb after car burst into flames

A man killed after his car slammed into a pole and burst into flames has been identified, with revelations he had been in recent contact with police.

A fatal accident on the Portarlington Rd near the Wilsons Rd intersection. Picture: Alison Wynd.

A man killed after his car slammed into a pole and burst into flames in Geelong has been identified, with revelations he had been in recent contact with police before the tragedy.

Emergency services rushed to the scene just after 9am on Friday, near the corner of Portarlington Rd and Wilsons Rd in Newcomb, following reports a car was on fire.

The driver and sole occupant, a 29-year-old Point Lonsdale man, died at the scene.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman confirmed he had been in recent contact with authorities before the tragedy.

It is understood his white Holden Commodore lost control and slammed into a pole between Wilsons Rd and Neptune Ave.

A male driver died at the scene. Picture: Alison Wynd.

Geelong Highway Patrol detectives will lead an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash, to be overseen by the Professional Standards Command.

This is standard procedure when a person dies following interaction with officers.

The intersection is a known trouble spot for motorists and pedestrians, labelled “one the worst in Geelong”, amid a state government plan to upgrade the site with new traffic lights and a crossing.

The horrific incident occurred about 100m from the The Hive Early Learning Centre on Portarlington Rd.

One staff member told the Addy their business was running as normal and had not been affected by the smash.

“It’s just horrible,” she said.

Portarlington Rd traffic was still being diverted at 1pm on Friday with motorists urged to avoid the area or take an alternative route.

The car burst into flames following impact. Picture: Alison Wynd.

Fire Rescue Victoria firefighters arrived to find the car “engulfed in flames” before it was quickly extinguished, according to an FRV spokesman.

Although the cause of the “awful” smash is still unknown, the intersection at Portarlington Rd and Wilsons Rd has long been regarded as dangerous.

“It needs to be fixed,” one Newcomb resident said.

“It is one of the worst in Geelong.”

Plans for a $2.5m upgrade and traffic lights were first announced in 2020 and would be funded by the state and federal governments.

“The Geelong-Portarlington Road centre median is narrow and short, which causes drivers to hesitate or choose not to use the centre-median when turning right from Wilsons Rd,” a Regional Roads Victoria planning site for the project states.

“Drivers also find it difficult to select an appropriate gap in the traffic when turning right from Geelong-Portarlington Road into Wilsons Road.”

Anyone who witnessed the incident, has CCTV, dashcam footage or any other information that could assist police is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

Originally published as Emergency services respond to fatal crash in Newcomb after car burst into flames