By Rachel Eddie, Zach Hope and Simone Fox Koob
The deaths of a man and a 10-year-old boy after a gum tree fell on their car as they drove through Sherbrooke on Sunday evening were "unavoidable", according to a State Emergency Service controller.
The pair was driving along Monbulk Road, which is surrounded by bushland, south of Mount Dandenong, when the tree fell on their moving car just after 5.30pm.
The driver, 46, and a boy sitting in the front seat died at the scene.
The relationship between the man and child has not been confirmed. Both are from Cockatoo, south-east of Melbourne.
SES unit controller Ben Owen told reporters that the accident was "unavoidable".
"My gut feeling from being at the scene was that they wouldn't have known what happened," Mr Owen said. "It's just devastating.
SES unit controller Ben Owen who attended the scene. Credit: Nine News
"I feel for the people who were driving behind or driving the other way who would have stopped and got out and did what they tried to do, called triple zero. It would have been very horrific for them.
"This incident was unavoidable. Unless you decide not to drive through forests."
The gum tree was a metre wide and hit the roof of the car.
"The point of impact was right where the two occupants were. This unlucky man and child were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Several of the CFA and SES crews who attended to assist after the crash sent their condolences to those affected by the tragedy in several posts on Monday morning.
"More often than not we can make a difference, sadly yesterday nothing could be done," the Kallista-The Patch CFA wrote on Facebook.
"A lot of times with traffic accidents there are some contributing factors but yesterday was just one of those freak accidents that can affect anyone.
"Our thoughts are with the families of the man and child."
A spokeswoman from the Department of Transport said thoughts were with the "family, friends and first responders impacted by this absolutely tragic crash".
The gum tree fell on the roof of the car. Credit: Nine News
"As with any fatal crash on our road network, we will work with Victoria Police to investigate the factors which may have contributed to this incident," she said.
The Bureau of Meteorology warned of damaging winds for parts of the state on Sunday night.
Sherbrooke wasn't part of the warning area, but it had wind gusts of up to 20km/h on Sunday.
State Emergency Services were called to more than 250 jobs in the the 24 hours to 6.30am on Monday.
The Emerald team, which services the Sherbrooke area, was the busiest with 28 requests for assistance.
Teams from Morwell, Moe and Ballarat were also busy, mostly with fallen trees.
The Sherbrooke road tragedy comes after an 89-year-old man from Doncaster was hit and killed in Templestowe Lower in Melbourne's north-east on Friday.
Police believe he was hit by a Toyota Hilux about 5.45pm. He was taken to hospital with critical injuries but later died, police said on Sunday.
A 34-year-old driver has been assisting police.
The latest three deaths take the road toll to 167 people so far this year, up from 105 at the same time last year.
Trees have fallen and killed several motorists in the Yarra Ranges area in recent years.
In January 2014, a 61-year-old motorcyclist was reportedly struck in Yellingbo along Macclesfield Road.
A 19-year-old man from Kilsyth was killed in June 2013 when the branch of a gum tree smashed onto his car as he drove along Glasgow Road, Herald Sun reported at the time.