Victoria’s Christmas road toll reaches four after man dies in Phillip Island collision
Four people have tragically died in a spate of traffic incidents on Victorian roads during the festive break.
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The Christmas road toll has climbed to four after a man was killed in a car crash on Phillip Island.
A man in his 30s died after a van and car collided at the intersection of Ventnor and Red Rocks roads in Cowes about 6.45pm on Christmas Day.
The man, who was a passenger in the car, died at the scene.
A woman aged in her 80s was airlifted to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with injuries to her upper body. She remained in a stable condition on Monday.
Two people in the van, believed aged in their 20s, escaped serious injury.
Police are investigating the accident.
Meanwhile, a man in his 60s sustained serious injuries on Monday morning after a motorcycle crash on the Mornington Peninsula.
Emergency services were called to Arthurs Seat just before 10.30am.
It is understood the man came off his bike before falling down an embankment.
SES crews, fire and rescue services and paramedics worked to extricate the man from the shrubs below the crash site.
The man was flown to The Alfred hospital in a serious condition with lower body injuries.
Tragically, the Christmas Day death at Cowes takes the number of people killed on Victorian roads to four since Friday.
It also lifts the state’s road toll to 236 this year, up from 224 in 2021.
A motorcyclist and pedestrian were killed in separate accidents on Christmas Eve.
The motorcyclist was killed when he crashed into a car while riding along Phillip Island Road in Cowes just after 9pm on Saturday.
Police performed CPR on the male rider until ambulance arrived but he died at the scene.
A female pedestrian was killed after being struck by a car on Upper Heidelberg Road at Ivanhoe about 8am on Saturday.
The alleged driver, a 36-year-old man from Fairfield, has been charged with dangerous driving causing death and has been bailed to appear in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on December 28.
Another motorcyclist was killed after they crashed at Mansfield on Friday.
The motorcyclist was travelling along Monkey Gully Road about 8pm when the rider lost control and crashed.
Victoria’s top traffic cop, Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith, said police would be out in force as people hit the roads heading off on holidays as part of Operation Roadwise
“There is an exodus normally from Melbourne on Boxing Day into regional Victoria,” he said.
“There are higher volumes of traffic at those times so we do make a concerted effort to police those areas.”
Operation Roadwise is running from December 16 to 27.
Anyone who witnessed the collision at Phillip Island, has dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
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Originally published as Victoria’s Christmas road toll reaches four after man dies in Phillip Island collision
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