Sydney Rd, Coburg crash: car and tram collide near Mercy College Catholic girls school

An “impossible” Coburg intersection, the morning school run, and pouring rain made for a dangerous combination, with a woman taken to hospital.

“Torrential” rain during a busy school drop-off time may have contributed to a crash outside a Melbourne Catholic college on Wednesday.

Emergency services responded to reports of a rail accident with a person possibly trapped near Mercy College in Coburg North about 8.50am.

Ambulance Victoria confirmed a woman in her 50s was treated and taken to The Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition with upper body injuries.

Emergency services attended a crash involving a tram and a car near Mercy College on Sydney Rd, Coburg North, on Wednesday June 1. Picture: Kirra Grimes

Witness reports suggested the female driver of a black car crashed into a tram near the Renown St intersection.

A Mrs Marshall, who lives nearby, looked out to see “if any kids ran out in front of a car or in front of a tram”.

Trams were back up and running on Sydney Rd by 10am. Picture: Kirra Grimes

She said she was relieved to see the male tram driver directing traffic around the scene, and when emergency services arrived a woman — believed to be the car driver — “walk into an ambulance”.

Tram passengers were not believed to have been affected as “the tram just sat there,” Mrs Marshall said.

“I’m glad the only person involved walked into the ambulance,” she said.

“At least nobody’s been killed.”

A witnessed described an intersection opposite Mercy College as ‘impossible - especially at school time’. Picture: Kirra Grimes

The car was towed from Renown St about 9.45am with damage to its front.

It is unclear whether the car driver had been attempting a right turn out of Renown St at the time of the crash.

Mrs Marshall said this right turn was something she would “never” attempt “because it’s impossible — especially at school time”.

She noted “torrential rain” at the time of the crash.

In her 27 years living in the area, Mrs Marshall said she had seen few crashes like it but remembered a “five-car pile up” some years ago directly opposite the college.

“One person stopped and the rest kept going — some people are crazy drivers,” she said.

She questioned why there was no pedestrian crossing near the front of the school.

“The kids that go to that school, live in that street [Renown St] – how do they cross the road when there’s no crossing?”

Mercy College and Victoria Police were contacted for comment.