By Sally Rawsthorne and Jenny Noyes
The driver of an overloaded Nissan Navara that hit a tree and killed his five passengers has been arrested.
Eighteen-year-old Buxton local Tyrell Edwards was driving on the Orange Road at Buxton on Tuesday night just before 8pm when his ute crashed into a tree.
The driver and sole survivor has been identified as Tyrell Edwards, 18.
All five of his passengers died at the scene; Edwards, a green P-plater, survived and was taken to Liverpool Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
He was arrested on Wednesday afternoon and was taken to Narellan police station “where he is assisting police with their inquiries”, police said in a statement.
“An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash continues and police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or social media to come forward.”
Acting Inspector Jason Hogan of the NSW Police crash investigation unit said speed was “a possible factor in relation to this crash”.
Crash Investigation Unit detectives were yet to interview Edwards who remained in hospital when police addressed the media on Wednesday morning.
The ute was registered for four occupants and detectives are looking at it being overloaded as a line of inquiry, Acting Inspector Hogan said.
“Having six people in a four-seater vehicle is inherently dangerous and it should not be done.”
All six of the occupants were inside the cab, he said.
Edwards knew the five passengers from Picton High, where the five dead were students in years 9 and 11.
He had graduated from the school last year.
Eighteen-year-old Jamarley Frail, who laid flowers at the scene of the crash on Wednesday, told the Herald she was struggling to comprehend the tragedy.
“It just didn’t make sense to me and still doesn’t,” she said.
Tributes at the base of a tree where five teenagers were killed in Buxton on Tuesday night.Credit: Kate Geraghty
One of the girls killed was “like a sister” to her; she was also friends with Edwards, Frail said.
“I’m angry at what’s happened. I don’t know what to think. He was my mate. I’m just glad that he came out of it, I know some people wouldn’t feel the same,” she said.
“But what happened last night there’s just no words.”
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