Youths attacked minutes before fatal Truganina crash

Shock footage shows the dramatic moment a car was boxed in and bashed with bats near Tarneit Shopping Centre. Minutes later, four youths were dead.

A horror Truganina crash that killed four young men and critically injured two others could be linked to an altercation captured on video minutes beforehand.

The homicide squad is investigating the collision and released terrifying footage that appeared to show a group of men attacking the victim’s car with baseball bats.

Six males, aged 15 to 20, were in the car when it collided with a truck at 7.30pm on September 30.

Kevin “Memo” Reech, 16, and cousins Saeed Husen, 17, and Ilyas Abdullahi, 15, were among the four killed, with the two remaining occupants suffering life-threatening injuries.

CCTV footage taken eight minutes before the crash shows three cars stopped next to the victims’ vehicle outside Tarneit Shopping Centre on Derrimut Rd.

Homicide detectives are investigating the horror crash in Truganina. Picture: Josie Hayden

Travellers in the red car could be seen talking to the victims in the silver car.

Passengers got out of the cars, prompting the victims’ silver car to reverse into a third car.

The car drives over the median strip with the alleged attackers in pursuit.

The silver car was involved in a fatal crash less than 10 minutes later, killing four of its occupants.

A group of at least three men could be seen getting out of two vehicles and striking the victims’ car with long objects.

Their attack prompted the victims to reverse away from the advancing men, only to back into a third car that appeared to be connected with the two attackers.

The victims, surrounded by the three vehicles, fled the scene by driving over the median strip and onto the wrong side of the road.

The three cars — a red Volkswagen Golf GTI, blue Volkswagen Golf R and red Holden VF Commodore — drove off in the same direction.

Less than 10 minutes later, the victims hit a truck head-on, devastating their families and local community.

Kevin ‘Memo’ Reech is among the victims.

A police spokeswoman said they were investigating “any incidents” that may have contributed to the “speed and manner” in which the car was being driven when it crashed.

“There is nothing at this time to indicate any culpability on behalf of the truck driver,” she said.

“At this time police are yet to determine the reason for the altercation and any relevance it may have to the collision a few minutes later.”

Homicide squad detective Inspector Dean Thomas said CCTV vision showed at least two of the suspect vehicles following the victims’ car after it hurriedly fled over a median strip onto the wrong side of the road.

He said a “large number” of people were in the vehicles, which appear to have worked together to box in the victims’ car.

“There could have been eight plus (people). There are three drivers and about four people seen on the roadway in this footage. We don’t know the exact numbers but we have a large number of people we want to speak to,” Insp Thomas said.

He said some of the victims were “known to police” but that it was at this stage unknown if they were entangled in a dispute with another group.

Insp Thomas said investigators are working on the theory the attack was not random and the groups knew each other.

“Our mind is very much open as to why this has occurred,” he said.

The two surviving youths remain in hospital in a serious condition and have not been able to shed light on the circumstances surrounding the crash.

“They will have long term impacts on their wellbeing but we are hopeful they will survive those injuries,” Insp Thomas said.

“We’d be keen to speak to them when we can but at this stage we haven’t been able to.”

Insp Thomas said the crash occurred in wet conditions and put other motorists at risk.

“It’s extremely concerning. Trying to put a mature head on young shoulders is very difficult. The driving on this occasion was very dangerous… there could have been other people injuried, other cars collided with but nonetheless we have lost four young teenagers which is extremely sad,” he said.

Insp Thomas urged those shown on the CCTV to come forward.

“This collision had led to at least seven lives being irrevocably changed – four young lives have been taken far too soon, two others have been dramatically altered, and we have an innocent truck driver who will no doubt take a long time to recover from his experience.

“We have a young, unlicensed driver travelling at speed in an overloaded vehicle full of young men not wearing seatbelts.

“This is now compounded by the circumstances leading up to the collision and homicide and major collision investigators are working to establish what connection this altercation could have to the way the victim’s vehicle was being driven.”

He said there may end up being “no connection” between the altercation and the attack.

“But we really need to speak to the occupants of those three vehicles to find out more.

“I’m appealing for anyone who has information about those vehicles to come forward, or for the occupants to make contact with police themselves.

“We’re hopeful that the investigation can provide some answers to each of the victims’ families about why this tragic incident occurred.

“If you have any information at all, or if you have any CCTV or dashcam footage of the collision or the events preceding it, then we urge you to come forward.”

The scene of the crash in Truganina in which four men lost their lives. Picture: Josie Hayden

A police spokeswoman said they were keen to identify the three vehicles and the identity of the males inside.

She said they had already combed through CCTV, but they were keen to see more.

“A significant canvas of the area for CCTV has already been conducted, however police would like to speak to anyone who has CCTV or dashcam footage and is yet to come forward,” she said.

“In particular, police are asking those living in or travelling through the Truganina and Tarneit areas around Poplar Boulevard, Derrimut Rd and Dohertys Rd to check their footage for the night between 5pm and 8pm.”