Rowville crash teen ‘too young to die’, as cops probe street racing link
Friends of a Narre Warren teen killed in a horror three-car smash in Rowville have expressed disbelief over her shock death, saying she was a “beautiful” person who “could make you smile … no matter the circumstances”. The tributes come as police look at whether two of the drivers were racing each other.
VIC News
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Tears have flowed for teenager Nikkita-Lee Wells who was killed in a suspected drag racing crash in Rowville.
The 17-year-old was remembered on Monday as a beautiful young woman whose life was cut short.
Nikkita-Lee, of Narre Warren, was a passenger in a white Holden Commodore that crashed about midday on Sunday, with the car torn in two.
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Frantic roadside CPR efforts failed to save her. Five other people involved in the crash were taken to hospital.
Four have since been discharged, while one patient remained in a stable condition at Dandenong Hospital on Monday night.
Investigations into the crash were continuing and no arrests had been made on Monday night.
Friends were in shock over Nikkita-Lee’s death.
In a social media post, Jake Dinn wrote: “It doesn’t feel real and I don’t want it to be real. Everything your family has been through they don’t deserve this and neither did you.
“My heart goes out to your family and Hayden. I love them all as if they were my own, because you all basically are. Fly high and shine down on us all beautiful girl.”
Alex Mouw wrote of his disbelief at hearing that “what I thought could only be a nightmare unfortunately was true”.
And friend James Tomich wrote on social media that Nikkita-Lee was a great friend.
“Your smile would brighten up the darkest of times. You were such a strong person for not just me but for your family as well. I will cherish every memory we had together.”
Keira Willis wrote she couldn’t believe her friend died just a week after they last hung out.
“Breaks my heart to see you gone so fast,” she wrote in a post on social media.
“Will always miss you and to think you were gonna come back to netball, fly high beautiful.”
Another friend said she would hold tight all their memories.
“Rest in paradise beautiful,” Mollie Rose wrote. “I’ll forever cherish my moments with you. Fly high angel.”
“She could always put a smile on your face,” a female friend said earlier near the scene.
“No matter the circumstances, she could make you smile.”
The teenager was a valued colleague at Fountain Gate Bingo, where she had worked as a kitchen hand and sold tickets for the past 12 months.
Colleague and long term friend Brianna Santos said the team at the bingo venue were shocked and saddened by the loss of their much loved staff member.
“Nikkita was this beautiful, bright and bubbly girl...she really would light up any room,” she said.
“She touched us all and we love and miss her so much.”
Loved ones visited the crash site on Monday, leaving red roses at the side of Stud Rd. The distressed group spoke with a police officer beside the road.
Nikkita-Lee’s social media pages showed she had been a student at Fountain Gate Secondary College.
She had worked at Fountain Gate Bingo and had been in a relationship since 2017, with her boyfriend writing he was “happily taken” on his social media profile.
Friends and family have started a gofundme page, which as of 1pm raised $1545 towards a goal of $5000, to get the family “through this difficult period”.
Donor Jake Dinn said: “I’ve known the family since Nikkita was in primary school.
“They’ve been through too much already.”
POLICE PROBE DRAG STREET RACING LINK
Witnesses told police two of the cars may have been racing each other before the collision took place.
Detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit were leading inquiries.
“I can tell you speed appears to be a factor in this collision,” Acting Inspector Peter Trichias said.
One dead, believed to be a back seat passenger, after a shocking collision on Stud Rd in Rowville which left a car split in two. Second car slammed into a pole. @AmbulanceVic says it took six patients to hospital. pic.twitter.com/qv8eniCS4q
— Paul Dowsley (@pauldowsley7) February 17, 2019
Local residents said they often see people speed down the hill at Stud Road “I often hear them hooning down the road, especially at night,” one female resident said.
“They take off from the lights [at Emmeline Row] and speed down the hill.”
“It’s a straight stretch of road and you can see for a pretty long way.”
One of the cars came to rest on a nature strip in the middle of the road.
A second car, with extensive damage to its back, ended up on grass at the side of the road while a third smashed headlong into a power pole about 20m away.
Metal black fencing along the road was severely damaged.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen told the Herald Sun it received the call at 12.03pm.
It has been a horror start to the year with 46 people killed on Victoria’s roads, compared to 28 at the same point in 2018.
Any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage is urged to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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