Two more deaths brings horror death toll to five after Strathmerton crash
The driver accused of causing the worst crash on Victorian roads in more than a decade — killing five people — potentially had cannabis in his system.
Police & Courts
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The driver accused of causing the worst crash on Victorian roads in more than a decade potentially had cannabis in his system and was clocked speeding just minutes before five people died in a “catastrophic” head-on collision.
A dejected Christopher Joannidis, 29, of Doncaster, stood silently at Shepparton Magistrates’ Court during a brief hearing on Friday afternoon, where he was granted bail on strict conditions, including that he not drive a car.
He was charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death. Each count carries a maximum 10-year jail sentence.
Police allege Mr Joannidis was behind the wheel of his Mercedes C250 when he failed to give way at the intersection of Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Rd at Strathmerton on Thursday afternoon.
His car then clipped a Nissan Navara, which spun and rolled into the path of an oncoming milk tanker.
The truck crushed the Nissan beyond recognition.
All five occupants – a Cobram mother in her 60s and four young international abattoir workers – and a dog, died.
Mr Joannidis’s passenger, a 20-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries.
When told Friday the crash had killed five people, Mr Joannidis “appeared to be distressed” and largely declined to answer questions from police, documents tendered in court say.
The workers were yet to be formally identified Friday night, but are believed to be aged between 23 and 30.
They are understood to be from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and their relatives were last night rushing to Australia.
The impact of the collision meant police had to call in disaster identification experts, who determined the wreckage contained five bodies rather than the three initially reported.
Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said the crash was filmed on the truck’s dashcam.
Mr Weir was visibly upset while describing the confronting footage to media.
“The local community is a really small community in the northeast – everyone knows everyone – and this will be absolutely devastating,” he said.
“It’s horrific, it’s catastrophic, the damage that has been caused as a result of a simple collision that has ended with the loss of five lives.”
Mr Weir urged all drivers to take greater care on the roads.
“This year, we’ve been absolutely devastated in our communities by people who are choosing, for whatever reason, to not heed the risks that we constantly identify (not only) around high-risk periods, but every day.”
According to court documents, Joannidis was pulled over 2km from the crash site after being clocked at 118km/h. He was issued an on-the-spot fine before being allowed to continue.
“The accused failed to give way at the intersection … (his) vehicle is (filmed on the truck’s dashcam) travelling at a continuous speed and does not appear to slow before the intersection,” the court documents allege.
Police say they will test a blood sample taken from Mr Joannidis in hospital to determine whether he had drugs in his system.
A preliminary “lick stick” saliva test returned a positive result for cannabis, but a subsequent test did not and will be sent for further testing.
Nearby resident Ray Kelly told the Herald Sun an old railway line on Labuan Rd, which Mr Joannidis crossed before clipping the Nissan, made for a notoriously dangerous intersection.
“They get to the (old) railway line, which is on a bit of a rise, and then they go ‘wow, there’s a highway there’, and then it’s too late,” he said.
Police allege Mr Joannidis failed to heed a Reduce Speed sign, a give way sign, and painted lines at the intersection.
Mr Joannides wore a blue T-shirt and black Champion tracksuit pants in court, and was supported by his brother and his brother’s partner.
He was granted bail under several conditions, which will prohibit him from driving a motor vehicle and leaving the state of Victoria.
The judge said there were enough compelling reasons to grant him bail, which included Mr Joannides having full-time work and no prior police issues.
Mr Joannides appeared remorseful and dejected, quietly answering “yes” when asked by the judge if he understood his bail terms.
His family remained silent as they exited the court when quizzed by awaiting reporters.
Mr Joannides, who wore a mask upon his release, was then driven away by his brother in a dark Ford Mustang.
Locals react to the horror crash
Ray Kelly, whose property on Labuan Rd surrounds the crash site, said he “can’t say how many” fatal accidents he’s seen in the 43 years he’s lived at his Strathmerton property.
Mr Kelly, who works at the local bakery, said the intersection was extremely dangerous and needed urgent attention.
“They get to the (old) railway line, which is on a bit of a rise, and then they go ‘wow, there’s a highway there’, and then it’s too late,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I was getting some cows in one day and I saw this big double-decker cattle truck and I thought ‘slow down mate’, and he went straight through the intersection into Stokes Rd, and he sat there for five minutes before he moved, he was in shock.”
When asked how many fatalities he had been witness to during his time at the property, he said “it would be too hard” to tell.
“I can’t say how many, and that’s only what we see, how many of them happen that we don’t see?”
After recounting the several accidents and near-misses close to his farm, Mr Kelly called for more signage to alert drivers of the oncoming highway.
“On the other highway nearby, they’ve got flashing lights and I’m certain that’s what we need here, (the lights) really hit you.
“They did put rumble strips in but maybe the drivers didn’t take any notice of them.”
His daughter, Carolyn Ryan, said Google Maps directed drivers along Labuan Rd which is unsuitable for large amounts of traffic.
“These days Google Maps actually takes people that way, it’s not the main road,” she said.
“My brother who runs the farm last week said the line of cars to get onto the highway were banked up about 20 cars back, that’s how busy it is.
“(Google) Maps takes everyone that way.
“People don’t realise — all of a sudden they get to the rise and it’s too late.
“A lot of them actually get airborne.”
The deadly intersection is a four-way crossroad without traffic lights and locals commented on social media posts that there is currently long grass obscuring drivers’ ability to adequately check for oncoming traffic.
“So many accidents on this intersection,” one woman wrote.
“There are signs and humps. When will people realise to slow down and look, especially on country roads?
Another woman wrote that it was a “terrible intersection”.
“Me and my partner drove that intersection a few weeks ago and commented how overgrown it was and how hard it is to see, and it’s only a matter of time before a serious accident happens.”
The Murray Valley Highway was the site of another tragic collision in February 2022, where one man died and two police officers were left seriously injured.
Police have urged anyone who saw the collision or may have dashcam footage to contact them.
Strathmerton is 248km north of Melbourne near the border of NSW on the Goulburn Valley Hwy.
In February 2022, a 60-year-old man died after he crashed his van into a police vehicle on the Murray Valley Highway in Strathmerton.
Two male police officers, a first constable and detective sergeant from Cobram, suffered serious injuries.
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