Horror petrol tanker crash in Melbourne
LATEST: Traffic gridlock is expected in Melbourne this afternoon as the Calder Freeway remains closed following a horrific petrol tanker crash.
National
Don't miss out on the headlines from National. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TRAFFIC chaos is expected in Melbourne this afternoon as the Calder Freeway remains closed following a horrific petrol tanker crash.
Thousands of litres of petrol was spilt when the tanker crashed into several cars and then flipped onto its side during peak traffic this morning.
One person has been confirmed dead — but police cannot say if there are more victims inside a crushed white Toyota which is still sitting on the freeway partly covered by a sheet.
As much as 20,000 litres of petrol has been spilt and firefighters have had to spray foam onto the wrecked vehicles and road to try and stop the fuel catching fire.
It is that danger that is preventing emergency services from clearing the scene and determining how many victims there are.
The Fwy has been closed in both directions between the Western Ring Rd and Tullamarine Fwy and is now expected to remain closed until after peak traffic this evening.
It was possible it might not open until Wednesday morning.
Police said it appeared the tanker driver lost control after a car pulled in front of it just after 8am.
THE INJURED
Ambulance Victoria has confirmed six people have been injured. A woman in her 40s, whose car overturned, has been taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with neck, shoulder and arm injuries. The truck driver has also been taken to that hospital with leg injuries.
Both are in a stable condition.
Two other people are being taken to Sunshine Hospital. One was a woman in her 20s with neck and facial injuries, the other a teenage boy who will be assessed at hospital as precaution.
A fifth person, a woman in her 60s, has a wrist injury and is in a stable condition in Western Hospital Footscray.
Two others were treated at the scene but didn’t need to be taken to hospital.
Firefighters hosed down the wrecked tanker, covering it with foam, as thousands of litres of petrol was lost from the tanker.
CAR SWERVED...AND TANKER ‘LOST CONTROL’
In a statement, Victoria Police said it was believed the truck was in the centre lane on the freeway when a car has pulled in front of it — causing it to swerve and the driver to lose control.
“The truck has then struck a number of other cars. One car was crushed under the truck during the incident and investigators are still in the process of determining how many people were in that vehicle, however at least one person has been confirmed deceased.”
Inspector John Kearney said: “you don’t get much worse than this” when describing the scene, reported the Herald Sun.
“Early indications are the truck has had to take some evasive action because of a vehicle. Which vehicle that is we don’t know,” he said.
It appeared the car was damaged before the truck flipped, he said.
Assistant chief fire officer Darren McQuade said up to 20,000 litres of diesel and unleaded petrol had spilt from the tanker.
The truck involved was a Toll-branded vehicle, and the company expressed its regret about the incident this afternoon.
“Toll is deeply saddened to learn of the fatality and serious injuries following an incident on the Calder Freeway involving a Toll fuel tanker at around 8am this morning,” Toll spokesman Shannon Gill said.
The crash happened in the outbound lanes of the Calder Freeway, which links Melbourne to the outskirts of Bendigo in Victoria.
andrew.koubaridis@news.com.au
Originally published as Horror petrol tanker crash in Melbourne
Man charged with 2yo’s murder
A man has been charged over the alleged murder of a two-year-old boy found unconscious at a regional home.
‘Unsettling’: Dutton’s call on ‘terror’ caravan
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has called for an independent assessment of a communications breakdown involving the PM over a failed Sydney terror plot.