Five dead in Victoria’s worst crash in a decade as victim revealed

The first victim in Victoria’s deadliest crash in a decade has been identified as a “fun and energetic” mother who “had time for everyone”, her heartbroken son has said.

The first victim of Victoria’s deadliest crash in a decade has been identified.

Mother Deborah Markey, 62, is one of the five people to have been killed in the horror crash in Strathmerton, northern Victoria, on Thursday.

Her heartbroken son Daniel Montero told Herald Sun his mum, who lived in Cobram, was being remembered as the “life of the party.”

“A ridiculously fun and energetic person,” he said. “She had time for everyone and she was way too forgiving.

“She was the life of the party at every event and a hard working community member.”

Mother Debbie Markey has been identified as one of the five victims in the horror crash in Strathmerton.

Ms Markey and her son Daniel.

Ms Markey’s Facebook page shows she was a widow. She wrote in a post last year that she lost her husband Robert in 2007 from lung and brain cancer.

She also loved dogs, and was a proud supporter of the charity Pets of the Homeless, which aims to take care of homeless animals.

Ms Markey loved dogs, and volunteered her time for a pet charity.

Daniel said his mum had found “a niche” housing international workers at her rural property.

It’s understood Ms Markey was the driver of the ute that was hit. The further four victims were in the car with her; A male and three female passengers believed to be aged between 23 and 30 years old, who were overseas workers employed in the agriculture industry.

Police believe the female driver, now revealed as Ms Markey, was their employer.

They are understood to be from Hong Kong and Taiwan, and their relatives rushed to Australia last night, the Herald Sun reports.

Assistant Commissioner Weir said the driver was “probably doing something she’d done so many times — driving people to work or back to where they live”.

“And it’s all over, and that’s the frustration of it, that such a small lack of attention can have such devastating effects.”

It comes after the man allegedly responsible the crash potentially had cannabis in his system during the horror collision.

Christopher Dillon Joannidis, 29, was pulled over and fined for speeding in his white Mercedes Benz on Labuan road.

He allegedly returned a positive reading for cannabis on a preliminary test, documents tendered to Shepparton Magistrates Court on Friday reveal.

Mr Joannidis, who had been travelling with a 20-year-old female passenger, was handed an infringement notice for driving at 118km/h in a 100km zone.

A follow-up test was negative and he was permitted to leave at 2.18pm, the Herald Sun reports. That sample will be sent for further testing.

Police will also test Mr Joannidis’s blood sample taken in hospital to determine whether he had drugs in his system.

Three minutes after Mr Joannidis was pulled over, he allegedly ran a give way sign, and his car slammed into a Nissan Navara ute with five people on-board who were instantly killed. A dog in the Navara also died.

Christopher Dillon Joannidis spoke with police just minutes before the deadly crash. Picture: Nine News.

Mr Joannidis faced the Shepparton Magistrates Court on Friday afternoon, shortly after being charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death over the deadliest crash in Victoria since 2012.

Magistrate Simon Zebrowski granted him bail with strict conditions, including that he is banned from driving, the ABC reports.

“Probably the worst thing you could do is … to drive a motor vehicle,” the magistrate said.

“You’re not to drive a motor vehicle under any circumstance.”

Mr Joannidis must reside at his home address, surrender his passport and cannot leave Victoria or the country.

The horror smash saw two cars and a milk tanker collide near the New South Wales border on Thursday.

Victoria Police said the accident occurred at the intersection of the Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Rd, near the town of Strathmerton, at around 2.30pm.

It is understood a car hit a ute, which sent it careening into the path of an oncoming B-double truck.

Three people were confirmed to have died at the scene, and three people were transferred to the Goulburn Valley Health hospital in Shepparton.

Sadly, police announced the death toll from the multi-vehicle crash had risen to five at a press conference on Friday.

The fatal crash occurred when two cars and a B-double truck collided at the intersection of the Murray Valley Hwy. Picture: Nine News

Five people died in the horror multi-vehicle crash. Picture: Nine News

Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir confirmed that all five victims had been travelling in the same vehicle.

Tragically, he revealed the impact of the crash was so severe that disaster victim identification experts and the force’s search-and-rescue team were required to determine how many people had died, which is why the death toll was only updated a day later.

The driver of the truck, aged in his 50s, was uninjured in the crash.

The brother of Christopher Dillon Joannidis, leaves the Shepparton Magistrates Court with his partner. Picture: Ian Currie

Mr Joannidis, from Doncaster in Melbourne’s north east, and his passenger suffered minor injuries in the collision and stayed at the scene before they were taken to hospital for treatment for minor injuries.

“That driver was involved in a collision with a Nissan Navara that was travelling on the Murray Valley Highway,” Assistant Commissioner Weir said.

“The Nissan spun and was then involved in a collision with a fully-loaded B-double milk tanker. All people in the Nissan Navara were killed instantly.”

It is the worst crash in Victoria in 11 years. Picture: Nine News

There were safety concerns about the intersection where the crash occurred. Picture: Nine News

He added that dashcam footage from the scene was “catastrophic”.

“I’ve seen the vision from the truck, it’s horrific,” he said. “It is catastrophic, the damage that has been caused as a result of a simple collision that has ended with the loss of five lives.”

Paramedics, Country Fire Authority units and volunteers from the Victorian State Emergency Service had all attended the horror scene on Thursday.

The two people from the Mercedes were taken to hospital but have since been discharged, with the driver currently being interviewed in custody.

Anyone who witnessed the collision, has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The victims had been travelling in the same car. Picture: Nine News

The wreckage of car in which five people died is taken away from the scene on the corner of Labuan Rd and Murray Valley Highway. Picture: Ian Currie

It is understood safety concerns had previously been raised regarding the intersection where the crash occurred, with Moira Shire Council’s acting CEO Joshua Lewis telling the ABC the council had been “actively working with the Department of Transport and Planning in advocating for this particular intersection”.

“But also broader improvements across the road network, and that includes particularly the Murray Valley Highway throughout the Moira Shire,” he added.

Disaster Victim Identification officers collect evidence on the corner where the horror crash unfolded. Picture: Ian Currie

Last year there were two deadly crashes in the same area, claiming two lives.

Mr Lewis added that sat-navs and phone navigation apps were known to send drivers to Labuan Road as a short cut, which he said was “concerning”.

“It is a lower standard road, and there are far safer avenues for people to travel from the south to the north,” he added.

The latest fatalities add to Australia’s horrific road toll, which has been steadily climbing over the past few weeks during the Easter school holidays.

As of Easter Sunday, the road toll stood at 15, a figure Traffic and Highway Patrol Commander, Acting Assistant Commissioner Tracy Chapman, described as “tragic”.