Four dead, two fighting for life after horror Truganina crash

A community in Melbourne’s west has been “devastated” after a horror crash “snuffed out” four young lives in a tragedy police say was “completely avoidable”.

Four young males were killed and two others left fighting for life after a joy ride in an overloaded car turned to tragedy when they crashed head-on with a truck.

The horror crash prompted a strong warning from the state’s top road cop, who revealed the 16-year-old driver was unlicensed and no-one in the sedan was wearing a seatbelt.

“It is really difficult when you see the waste of such young people in what was completely avoidable,” Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said.

He said the young males who thought they were “invincible” had been killed by dangerous driving by an “extremely inexperienced” driver, combined with challenging, wet conditions.

The wreckage of the crash at Truganina. Picture: Josie Hayden

“There are suggestions of speed and inappropriate driving,” Mr Weir said.

“There’s a number of people who just think the rules don’t apply to them, and just make really poor decisions to engage inreally risky behaviour.

“What we’ve seen here last night, is a result of that is families have been devastated and young lives have been snuffed out.”

The six males, aged 15 to 20, were illegally crammed into the car when they crashed into the truck on Dohertys Rd in Truganina,west of Melbourne, about 7.30pm on Thursday.

Four of the youth died at the scene, with firefighters extracting the surviving two occupants from the wreckage.

They were rushed to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with life-threatening injuries.

The sedan was travelling east along Dohertys Rd when it smashed head on into the small truck. Picture: Josie Hayden

In the hours after the devastating crash, a heartbreaking post online by a local community organisation urged South Sudaneseparents from the western suburbs to call Werribee police if their children had not come home as authorities tried to identify the boys involved.

“South Sudanese parents residing in Wyndham are advised to contact Werribee police, to seek further advice relating to theaccident if your child had not been home for the last 24 hours,” the message read.

A local community advocate who did not wish to be named said Melbourne’s South Sudanese and Somalian communities were saddenedand shocked to lose so many young lives.

He said their youth leaders were among the first on the scene and the community had been “rocked”.

Emergency crews and police at the scene in Truganina. Picture: Josie Hayden

An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said the surviving teens suffered “multiple” lower and upper body injuries.

The truck driver, who was the sole occupant of his vehicle, survived but was also taken to hospital for observation.

Neighbour Stuart Kull, who lives 100m from the crash scene, said the horror smash was inevitable and feared it could one daybe his family that was injured or killed.

“It’s tragic. It broke my heart,” Mr Kull said.

“It’s lawless out here, there’s no policing, there’s no cameras on the lights.”

MONASH FREEWAY CRASH TRAGEDY

Meanwhile, a male driver has also died after losing control of his car on the Monash Freeway in Mount Waverley on Friday morning.

A Victoria Police spokeswoman said the man, who sadly died at the scene, left the road and crashed into a pole about 3.40am.

Investigators are also working to determine the exact cause of that crash.

The spokeswoman said the man had not yet been formally identified.

169 Victorians have so far died on our roads, compared to 157 people this time last year.

A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman said the driver and their five passengers had been trapped in the car.

“FRV and CFA crews worked together to extract all six occupants,” the spokesman said.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives will investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision.

Any witnesses or anyone with dashcam footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au