Daylesford crash: Police undecided on charging driver involved in pub tragedy
Police are yet to decide if they will charge the driver of the car that ploughed through a beer garden at Royal Daylesford Hotel in a tragedy that killed five people.
Police & Courts
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The grieving brother of a woman killed in the Daylesford tragedy says his sister can be laid to rest after a coroner ordered the release of her daughter’s remains.
Pratibha Sharma, 44, and her daughter Anvi, 9, were killed alongside her partner Jatin Kumar, 30 and Vivek Bhatia, 38, and his son Vihaan, 11, after they were struck by a SUV that ploughed into a beer garden outside the Royal Daylesford Hotel on November 5.
Victorian coroner Katherine Lorenz on Wednesday ordered the release of Anvi’s remains into her father’s custody after a dispute was resolved between him and her grandfather.
Speaking outside court, Ms Sharma’s brother Vikas Sharma fought back tears as he spoke.
“It was the mother’s wish, they lived together, they died together and the funeral (will) be together,” he said.
Mr Sharma said he was disappointed with how long the investigation was taking, adding questions still remained about the cause of the crash or the identity of the driver.
He described his sister as a “good person” saying she migrated to Australia in 2004 on a student visa before she worked as a lawyer and in the banking sector.
Earlier, Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Peter Romanis revealed police had not yet decided if the driver of the white BMW, a 66-year-old Mt Macedon man, would be charged.
He said investigators were probing to what extent the man’s diabetes was a factor in the collision.
A lawyer for the driver — who was taken to hospital but released without charge pending further inquiries — previously said his client was an insulin-dependent diabetic who needed treatment for his condition at the scene.
Sgt Romanis said there were 140 witnesses and police were still in the process of obtaining statements and gathering evidence, adding he could not say how long the investigation would take.
“The investigation is very much in its infancy and ongoing,” he told the court.
Police were also collecting information on public safety issues relating to the outdoor seating arrangement where the families were struck.
Counsel assisting the Coroner Andrew Imrie said the court would wait for police to finish their investigation before any substantive coronial hearings took place.
Family and supporters of those who died attended Wednesday’s hearing, with Ms Lorenz acknowledging their loss.
“It has been a terrible loss for your families, your communities and indeed the community as a whole,” Ms Lorenz said.
“It’s a sad and tragic outcome for what was a very pleasant day out for those people.”
The case was adjourned to a date to be set.
Outside court, Sgt Romanis said the tragedy had rocked the tight-knit Daylesford community and support had been offered to witnesses.
He also thanked the public for the kindness and compassion shown to the families.
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