Nine dead in horror 48 hours on Victorian roads including mum killed in Mother’s Day crash

Nine people have died in a horror 48 hours on Victorian roads, including a mum in a Mother’s Day tragedy while disturbing footage has emerged of a high speed head-on collision which killed a man and woman in Clayton South.

Victoria’s top road cop has lashed reckless drivers after a “horrendous” three days on the state’s roads.

Nine people have been killed in a spate of horror collisions since Saturday, including a mother who died in a collision in West Gippsland on Mother’s Day.

The deaths all unfolded despite Victoria Police launching its major crackdown on dangerous driving as part of National Road Safety Week, prompting desperate warnings from an “incredibly frustrated” Road Safety Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir for Victorians to take better care while driving.

“There are no excuses for what we’ve seen, and particularly yesterday, Mother’s Day – particularly tragic for people experiencing road trauma yesterday – that will live with them forever,” he said.

“We have seen really, really tragic and unacceptable levels of trauma.

“No fatal or serious injury collision should occur, they’re all avoidable, yet people just don’t get it.

“Once something happens, it happens. There’s no reverse button here, so people need to realise that noncompliance has consequences, and sometimes that consequence is deadly or life-changing.”

Disturbing footage captured the moment of impact. Picture: Supplied

Emergency services at the scene in Clayton South on Monday morning. Picture: David Geraghty

The devastation began on Saturday afternoon when a 53-year-old Coleraine man died when his motorcycle collided with a car in Moutajup, near Hamilton, about 4.30pm.

The man’s motorcycle passenger was left fighting for life while the driver of the other vehicle, a 20-year-old Lake Mundi man, escaped unharmed and stopped at the scene.

On Sunday, a 61-year-old man died when his vehicle struck a fence in Kurunjang after a suspected medical episode.

Then, a 43-year-old Red Lion man died in a collision with another vehicle in Pootilla, in central Victoria.

Later on Sunday evening, a 49-year-old mother from Dandenong North was killed in a crash that left five others, including two teenagers, seriously injured.

The carnage continued on Monday morning after a head-on crash in Clayton South.

Confronting footage of that crash showed the moment a car veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with another car, killing a 46-year-old Springvale South man and a 52-year-old Scoresby woman at the intersection of Westall Rd and Rosebank Ave just before 6am.

Investigators are probing whether a medical episode caused one of the drivers to cross to the wrong side of the road.

The accident occurred at Westall Rd and Rosebank Ave. Picture: David Geraghty

That same morning, 26-year-old father Griffen House lost control of his car in Swan Hill West while driving to work.

Mr House was found dead inside his vehicle on Sea Lake-Swan Hill Rd about 7am.

Speaking through tears, his stepfather Gavin O’Connor told the Herald Sun he was devastated that his family had been caught up in Victoria’s road toll.

“I never thought I’d bury a child,” Mr O’Connor said.

Mr House worked as a grain handler at Grainflow in Sea Lake.

Mr O’Connor remembered his stepson, who turned 26 last month, as a dedicated father who loved playing football.

“He loved his little boy,” he said.

“That’s the hardest bit.”

26-year-old Griffen House died after losing control of his car in Swan Hill West on Monday morning. Picture: Supplied

A mother has been killed in a car crash on Mother's Day in Victoria. Picture: 7News

The crash happened shortly before 6pm on Sunday. Picture: 7News

On Monday afternoon, two people died just before midday when their car collided with another car on the Midland Highway in Eganstown in central Victoria.

The driver of the second car was airlifted to hospital with serious injuries.

Meanwhile, another man died after he was hit by a vehicle in West Footscray on Monday.

A 66-year-old male pedestrian from Kinglake was struck on Geelong St about 8.20am, and died on Monday afternoon after being taken to hospital.

The 76-year-old driver is assisting police with their enquiries.

Police intelligence showed that speed has been a factor in about one third of recorded road deaths this year so far, up from one in five deaths at the same time last year.

The spike in fatalities prompted a blitz of officers patrolling freeways and major roads with radar guns, with this year’s road toll expected to surpass last year’s 284 road deaths.

Originally published as Nine dead in horror 48 hours on Victorian roads including mum killed in Mother’s Day crash