Warrnambool teen driver rescued, woman dies in two separate crashes in high country

A woman has died and three others are lucky to be alive after two separate incidents in which cars veered off roads and rolled down cliffs in the Victorian high country within 12-hours.

A Warrnambool teenager had a lucky escape after driving his car off a cliff at Mt Buller on June 9.

A woman has died and three others are lucky to be alive following two separate incidents of cars plumetting down cliffs in the Victorian high country.

Emergency services were called to a scene in Toombon, near Mt Baw Baw, where a car that had been travelling along Donnellys Creek Rd had veered off a cliff and fallen into Donnellys Creek about 10.20am.

The driver of the car died at the scene.

According to an Ambulance Victoria spokesperson, two passengers in the car escaped with non-life-threatening injuries.

“A teenaged female is in a stable condition with shoulder pain and a man believed to be in his 20s has bruising to his head and appears to be in a stable condition,” he said.

Both passengers were taken to local hospitals.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be established and the investigation remains ongoing.

It comes only 12 hours after an 18-year-old from Warrnambool who had been driving along Mount Muller Rd at Mirimbah miraculously escaped injury after being in a similar incident.

The Holden Trailblazer he was driving left the road and plummeted about three metres down a cliff about 11pm.

Trees prevented the car from falling any further down the mountain and it came to a rest on its side.

It sparked a huge combined effort from emergency services and a local towing company to rescue the man and secure his vehicle.

The driver was checked at the scene and was deemed to be uninjured.

It comes as Victoria Police urge motorists to take extra care over the long weekend as the number of lives lost has surged to a 16-year high.

Acting Assistant Commissioner of Road Policing, Martin O’Brien, said drivers needed to be extra vigilant over the King’s Birthday weekend.

“Whether you’re travelling across the state this weekend or heading to the alpine regions, please take extra care on the roads and be sure to drive to the conditions,” he said.

“Everyone has a responsibility on the road, and everyone must make safety their number one priority when getting behind the wheel.”

The total number of lives lost is currently up 37 per cent compared to this time last year.

Last month alone 31 lives were lost.