Rita Tahli charged over high-speed crash on the Eastern Freeway at Bulleen Rd exit
A young woman has been charged with dangerous driving causing serious injury over a high-speed crash near the Bulleen Rd exit, which left two passengers critically injured.
Police & Courts
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A young woman charged over an alleged high-speed crash on the Eastern Freeway has been identified as 20-year-old Rita Tahli.
The Caulfield woman was driving three male youths in an allegedly stolen Subaru when she lost control and crashed into a concrete barrier near the Bulleen Rd exit about 10.55pm on September 2.
Two passengers were critically injured including her friend Jake Malcolm.
He remains at the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a serious condition.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives have charged Ms Tahli with dangerous driving causing serious injury.
She is still recovering from her injuries at the Royal Melbourne Hospital and is expected to front the charges at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on September 14.
It has emerged the crash victims were associated with two teens who died in a similar high-speed crash in Cranbourne last year.
Dylan Cassidy was high on a cocktail of ice and booze when his Holden Commodore slammed into another car on the South Gippsland Hwy in August last year.
Friends Jordy Kirkwood, 20, and Byron Hampton, 16, both died and 17-year-old Dakoda Nicholson was left with life-threatening spinal injuries.
Ms Nicholson said she was disappointed they had not learned from the double fatal tragedy.
“I’ve lost two friends from doing this silly stuff and learnt my lesson,” she wrote on Facebook.
“I honestly thought everyone would’ve learnt but they haven’t.
“It’s wrong and sad that they even knew my two friends who had passed.
“I was in the car with my friends and have permanent injury due to this reason.”
On Facebook Ms Tahli wrote: “Only the good die young. Rest easy my babys (sic)”.
The passengers of the Eastern Freeway crash have been identified as a 21-year-old Seaford man, an 18-year-old Springvale South man and a 19-year-old man from Noble Park.
One of the males reportedly fled the scene of the crash, leaving his mates trapped in the wreckage.
All three had been cut out of the mangled car by emergency services before being rushed to hospital for treatment.
The Subaru was allegedly stolen from an Aspendale Gardens shopping centre shortly before the crash.
All four occupants will be issued $1652 for breaching curfew and stay-at-home orders.
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