Chilean nationals Alejandro Morales and Felipe Ibanez killed in horror Rye crash
The two men killed in a horror double-fatal in Rye have been revealed as Chilean nationals Alejandro Morales and Felipe Ibáñez, who were in Australia on a working holiday.
Law & Order
Don't miss out on the headlines from Law & Order. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Two Chilean backpackers killed in a horror crash in Rye have been remembered as happy, cheerful men who had a passion for travelling the world.
Alejandro Morales, 33, and Felipe Ibáñez, 28, moved to Australia late last year to work and save up for further travels but their lives were cut short when the hatchback they were passengers in smashed into a ute on Monday night.
There were five people in the hatchback when the collision happened about 10pm at the corner of Hygeia and Bimble streets in the Mornington Peninsula town.
The hatchback driver, a 29-year-old man from Chile, remains under police guard in hospital.
A 33-year-old Chilean woman was critically injured but by Wednesday her condition had improved to serious but stable. The fifth passenger, a 33-year-old Argentinian man, suffered non life-threatening injuries.
Friends of the two deceased men described them as friendly and kind.
“They were very dear friends, they loved football, were cheerful, very friendly and healthy,” friend Mauricio Moran told the Herald Sun.
Both men were from the south of Chile; Mr Ibáñez from the city of Talca and Mr Morales from Temuco.
Mr Moran said Mr Ibáñez loved theatre, music and the arts and enjoyed travelling.
The other man who died, Mr Morales, had moved to Australia a month ago and was working as a waiter at a Sorrento restaurant.
He was on his way home from work on Monday night when the car he was in was struck.
Friend and colleague Natasha Djakovic laid flowers at the scene of the crash and described him as “a ray of sunshine”.
“He was so full of life. He was always happy and smiling and wanted to see the world,” she said.
She said in the short time he had worked in Sorrento, Mr Morales had made a lot of friends and his untimely death had left his workmates shattered.
“He’ll be missed a lot. His family are all at home (Chile) and I just can’t imagine what they’re going through. So I wanted to show that he was loved here as well.”
She said Mr Morales was planning to work in Australia for a few months before continuing his travels.
Police are investigating whether the 29-year-old driver of the hatchback failed to give way.
Paramedics worked on the two victims for more than an hour but were unable to save them, with one man dying at the scene and the other succumbing to his injuries in hospital a short time later.
A 47-year-old man from Rye who was driving the ute was the only occupant of that vehicle and was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
The force of the crash uprooted two wooden bollards from the ground and left glass and car parts strewn across the intersection.
Witness James Drummond said the there was no screeching of brakes or any noise before the two cars collided and made a “huge thud”.
By the time he walked out from his house he could see paramedics desperately trying to save two men on the grass nature strip.
He said one side of the hatchback was completely smashed in and the front bumper of the ute was badly damaged.
There is a give way sign for cars heading south on Hygeia St, approaching Bimble St.
Mr Drummond said it was not a particularly well lit-up intersection and there were often people speeding in the area.
“It’s always been a pretty dangerous spot,” he said. “It’s very, very sad when the give way sign is there … I mean, you’re dead forever.
“Here at Rye at holiday time, there are heaps of kids around. It’s awful.”
He said there were multiple fire trucks, police cars and ambulances at the scene and paramedics were there for more than an hour working on the injured people.
Kiarne Banister was one of the first people on the scene after the smash and said it was horrible to see two people lying lifeless.
The mother, who lives in Rye, was driving past at the time.
“I live 100m down the road. I go through this intersection every single day — to think that’s all it takes is 30 seconds for your whole life to flash before your eyes,” she said.
She returned to the site on Tuesday afternoon to place a bouquet of flowers.
She said it had left her shaken up and she wanted to pay her respects to the people who had died.
M ORE NEWS
WORKER ASSAULTED AT MALMSBURY YOUTH CENTRE
‘VOICES’ TOLD ICE ADDICT TO BASH NEIGHBOUR
SERENA’S SPECIAL MESSAGE OF THANKS TO FIREFIGHTERS
The deaths bring the provisional road toll for 2020 to nine, two more than at the same time last year.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or with further information or dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800333 000 or submit a confidential report at crimestoppersvic.com.au