Three people have died and a fourth is in a critical condition after a two-vehicle collision in the Macedon Ranges, north-west of Melbourne.
It was one of three fatal incidents on Victorian roads across the weekend, in which six people died.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the Bolinda crash.Credit: Nine
Police are investigating a crash on Bolinda-Darraweit Road in the small locale of Bolinda, 16 kilometres east of Gisborne, about 7.20am Sunday.
Three of the four occupants inside one car died at the scene. The fourth person from that vehicle was rushed to the hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The driver and sole occupant of the second car involved in the crash also sustained injuries and was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Investigations into the exact cause of the collision are ongoing, but Detective Senior Sergeant Ben Morris of the Heavy Vehicle Unit said police believed the car in which the people died swerved into oncoming traffic.
“They’ve collided head on, which has caused the catastrophic scene we’ve seen today,” he said.
He said there was also a dead animal on the roadside where the accident occurred. Officers were investigating if it played a role in the crash.
Morris said the victims were still being identified, but some who had died were members of the same family.
Six people died on Victorian roads this weekend.
Three hours after the Bolinda crash, a driver died after his car veered onto the wrong side of the Western Highway near Ararat and hit another vehicle. Two people in the other vehicle were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries.
First responders have attended three separate fatal crashesCredit: Nine
On Saturday night, a motorcyclist died in a collision involving two bikes and two vehicles on the Western Freeway at Grangefields.
“We’ve had a really, really tragic weekend on our roads, and it’s caused a lot of trauma,” Morris said.
“Not only to the people directly related, but also our members. Our members are consistently turning out to these sorts of events, and having to deal with the tragedy that’s involved.”
Ambulance Victoria’s new chief executive, Jordan Emery, also expressed his condolences to the grieving families and first responders. Emery spent his first weekend in the job visiting ambulance branches in Bolinda and near Ararat.
“If there is one message we can send, it’s to please take care when on the road. The impact is felt well beyond those behind the wheel,” Emery said in a statement.
Anyone who saw the crashes, has 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.
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