Adult victim in horror crash had a history of driving offences
A woman killed with three teenagers in a horrific road smash in the state’s south west was reportedly the subject of a police inquiry into grooming allegations.
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A woman killed with three teenagers in a horrific road smash in the state’s south west was reportedly the subject of a police inquiry into grooming allegations
Alicia Montebello, 31, died in the smash at Bochara which also claimed the lives of Joshua Elmes, 15, Lucus Gorzali, 14, and Meghan Fox, 14.
Meghan’s 17-year-old sister Jorja remains in hospital.
The Herald Sun on Tuesday revealed that Ms Montebello was facing charges of stalking and four counts of breaching bail.
Warrnambool Standard has reported that those matters related to Ms Montebello stalking a teenage girl and that her parents believed she was being groomed.
Ms Montebello later breached her bail by being with two teenage girls on a Hamilton street in the early hours of April 14, the paper said.
The fatal crash at Bochara remains the subject of a Victoria Police major collision investigation unit inquiry.
Video from inside Ms Montebello’s red Toyota showed the vehicle travelling at 130km/h in the period of the tragedy.
The four died when the Toyota ran off a single-lane road and hit a tree.
Six weeks ago, Alicia Montebello, 31, was fined $700 without conviction after she was charged with wilful damage, two counts of stalking and four counts of contravening bail.
The young mother walked free from Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court on April 14 after facing those counts.
The Herald Sun can reveal Ms Montebello had a history of driving offences in South Australia before moving to Victoria.
In January 2015, she was charged with driving an unregistered vehicle with excess blood alcohol.
She was banned from driving for four months and 14 days.
In February 2016, she was charged with driving while disqualified, and given a suspended term of 12 days in jail and a further driving ban.
It comes as the father of young crash victim Joshua Elmes, 15, on Monday revealed he had previously warned his son not to get into a car with Ms Montebello, as he believed she was a dangerous driver.
Matthew Elmes, 46, said there was a problem with many young people in the Hamilton area seeking out adrenaline-filled activities, including speeding.
“If you want an adrenaline rush, it’s probably better to go to a theme park or go skydiving, but don’t get in a car,” Mr Elmes said.
The Herald Sun understands Ms Montebello was often seen driving around Hamilton in the red Toyota Corolla that the four died in on Saturday.
Passengers who had previously been in the vehicle with Ms Montebello said she would urge others not to wear seatbelts, and would drive erratically.
Police are still investigating the crash and are yet to confirm who was behind the wheel of the Toyota.
On Tuesday, Meghan Fox, 14, was named as the fourth victim of the horror crash.
Her sister Jorja, 17, who was also in the vehicle, remained in hospital on Tuesday in a serious but stable condition.
Bainbridge year 9 student Lucus Gorzali, 14, died alongside Joshua, Meghan and Ms Montebello.
Paige Ferguson, 14, and Lee-Anne Papst, 37, attended the crash scene on Tuesday morning to place flowers and pay tribute to those who were killed. “We just can’t believe it,” Ms Papst said.
Both said they hoped Jorja was recovering and they offered their support to the Fox family.
“Don’t give up fighting, we are all here to support her and love her,” Ms Papst said.
Ms Montebello, 31, worked with Joshua and Jorja at Coles in Hamilton, with Ms Ferguson saying that Alicia and Jorja were “best friends” and would often hang out together.
— With additional reporting by Izzy McMillan (NCA NewsWire)
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