Nine dead after spate of devastating road smashes in Victoria
Two people have been killed in a smash at Templestowe after a car veered onto the road side of the road, marking the sixth horror collision since Friday.
Victoria
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Nine people have been killed in a horror 72 hours on Victorian roads, with police slamming drivers for the “completely unacceptable surge in trauma”.
Victoria Police and Ambulance Victoria called a snap press conference on Monday to plead with road users to wise up on the roads after multiple “completley avoidable” road fatalities.
First on Friday, a teenage boy died after being struck by a ute at Bentleigh. Then on Saturday, a motorcyclist died after a four-vehicle collision in Grangefields. Hours later, three people died in a crash in Bolinda, believed to have been caused after a driver swerved to dodge a kangaroo. That was before a man died in a smash at Buangor where it is believed a car crossed to the wrong side of the road.
On Monday, another motorcyclist was killed in Wantirna with early investigations suggesting a car had failed to give way to him. Then, two people died in Templestowe in a head-on collision with a driver who police, at early stages of the investigation, believe was impaired by alcohol.
The catastrophic 72 hours has seen Victoria’s road toll climb to 159 people — the highest number of lives lost seen at this stage of year since 2011.
“That’s 159 different people who have lost their lives, and 159 groups of family friends who are all impacted. That’s the real cost that we see,” assistant commissioner Glenn Weir said.
“To lose nine lives in 72 hours is absolutley devastating.”
Emergency services responded to 10 serious crashes between Friday night and Monday morning, with police suspecting at least two of those were caused by alcohol-impaired drivers.
“The frustrating part from my perspective is when you go back an unpack all the collisions — even the ones in the last 72 hours — there are significant opportunities to avoid the trauma and yet people are still making the same mistakes,” Mr Weir said.
“It’s incredibly frustrating to when people going about their normal business on a Monday morning, going to work, to and from school, going shopping, just living their lives, to be confronted with someone who makes that outrageous decision to be impaired. We’ve seen the result of that.”
It’s prompted police to call a meeting with the Department of Justice and Community Safety, Transport Vic and the Transport Accident Commission to decipher what more can be done to address the 14-year road trauma.
“We really hope that (impacted drivers) are held to the highest account by the judiciary, because those people have made a conscious choice to do something that has resulted in the loss of peoples lives.
“Detectives ... treat this very similiar to a homicide investigation. Someone has undertaken an act that has resulted in the death of another person. There’s no coming back from that.”
“Unless larger parts of the community come on the journey with us, we will continue to see significant trauma like this.”
Two people dead after Templestowe collision: Monday, July 7
Two people died in a collision at Templestowe on Monday morning.
Emergency services were called to a multi-vehicle collision on Fitzsimons Lane at 9.25am in which a silver SUV heading north veered onto the wrong side of the road and collided with an oncoming small hatchback.
Two people in the hatch died at the scene.
The SUV’s driver, a 54-year-old woman from Balwyn North, was taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries under police guard. Police suspect she was impaired by alcohol at the time of the collision.
Two people in a grey SUV — which was also damaged — were unhurt.
The major collision investigation unit is at the scene.
It comes after a spate of deaths on Melbourne’s roads, with one dead in Wantirna, one dead in Buangor, three dead in Bolinda, one dead in Grangefields, and one dead in Bentleigh.
Motorcyclist dies in Wantirna: Monday, July 7
Police on Monday morning confirmed a motorcyclist had been killed after colliding with a car near on Mountain Hwy, Wantirna at about 6am.
Early investigations suggested the car appeared to have failed to give way to the motorcyclist while turning.
The motorcyclist, who is yet-to-be-formally identified, died at the scene. The driver of the car stopped at the scene and was uninjured.
Driver killed in Buangor smash: Sunday, July 6
The weekend death toll grew to six when one man died in a smash at Buangor in the state’s west.
Emergency services were called to the scene after reports a car had crossed to the wrong side of the road and hit another vehicle at 10.55am Sunday.
The driver of the car which left its lane died at the scene and the other motorist was taken to hospital with injuries described as not life-threatening.
His female passenger was seriously injured.
Police say that crash brought the total serious collision toll for the weekend to eight, with six deaths and four cases of lives left in threat.
Kangaroo may have caused triple-fatal Bolinda smash: Sunday, July 6
A kangaroo may have been the cause of a triple-fatal crash in the Macedon Ranges.
Three people are dead and another is fighting for life after the horrific smash in Bolinda, north of Melbourne.
Emergency services were called to the scene after reports two SUVs had collided on the Bolinda-Darraweit Rd at 7.20am on Sunday.
Three people from one of the vehicles died at the scene.
The driver was later identified as a 62-year-old Thornhill Park man.
His two passengers were a 27-year-old man, also from Thornhill Park, and a 29-year-old man from the US.
A fourth person, a 29-year-old Thornhill Park woman, was taken to hospital with injuries described as life-threatening.
The driver of the other vehicle, a 51-year-old Wallan man, who was travelling alone, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Specialist crash investigators are looking into whether one of the SUVs involved veered to avoid the marsupial on a rural road.
A dead `roo was found near the scene of the “catastrophic” smash, detective Sen-Sgt Ben Morris of the major collision investigation unit said.
He said some of the three killed and one with life-threatening injuries from one vehicle were family members.
“It appears the vehicle has possibly swerved to avoid the animal,” Sen-Sgt Morris said.
Sen-Sgt Morris urged those on the roads during the school holiday period to take care.
“We need to be safer on the roads. We need to make sure we’re reducing our speeds, be really vigilant about other road-users,” he said.
“Be aware. Be safe. Let’s all get home.”
Detectives from the major collision investigation unit are at the scene and are expected to be there for some hours.
“The exact circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be determined and investigations remain ongoing,” a Victoria Police statement said.
Driver charged after fatal collision at Grangefields: Saturday, July 5
Police have charged a man following the collision on the Western Freeway at about 11.20pm Saturday.
Two motorcycles and two cars collided about 11.20pm Saturday.
One of the riders, who has not been formally identified, died at the scene on Melbourne’s outer edge.
The other rider was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Police said the car drivers were unhurt and stopped at the scene.
Detectives arrested drivers of both the cars following the fatality.
A 20-year-old Strathtulloh man who was driving the Nissan involved in the crash was charged with culpable driving causing death.
He will appear before the Magistrates’ Court on Monday.
The driver of the other car, a 34-year-old Brookfield woman, was interviewed by detectives and released pending further inquiries.
Teen struck by ute in Bentleigh: Friday, July 5
A 16-year-old boy died after being struck by a ute at Bentleigh on Friday night and an e-bike rider was left fighting for life after hitting a pedestrian at Geelong.
Two motorcyclists were critically injured in separate crashes at Cranbourne and Rye the same night.
Road Policing Command Supt Justin Goldsmith said investigations but many of the collisions were the result of a single act of non-compliance or inattention.
“It’s no secret that ultimately serious collisions occur due to a lack of respect for the responsibility that comes with being a road user,” Superintendent Goldsmith said.
“Every life lost is one too many but what we have seen this weekend has been devastating and there are many families whose lives have changed forever as a result of the trauma on our roads.”
The state’s road toll has now reached 159, 17 more than at the same time last year.
Anyone who witnessed the incidents, has dashcam footage or any other information can call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit the website at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
Originally published as Nine dead after spate of devastating road smashes in Victoria
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