Five people were killed instantly when two cars and a B-double truck collided at the intersection of the Murray Valley Highway and Labuan Road in Strathmerton, about 250 kilometres north of Melbourne, about 2.30pm yesterday.
The 29-year-old driver of a white Mercedes allegedly did not give way at the intersection and hit a Nissan Navara that was then pushed into the path of a milk tanker, Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said today.
“The Nissan Navara spun and was then involved in a collision with a fully loaded B-Double milk tanker,” he said.
“All (five) people in the Nissan Navara were killed instantly.”
Weir said the damage was so “catastrophic” police needed specialist help throughout the night to work out how many people had been killed.
“I’ve seen the vision from the truck. It’s horrific,” he said.
He said the crash was Victoria’s most fatal since 2012.
The driver of the Mercedes, a man from Melbourne’s eastern suburbs, was pulled over and fined when he was allegedly clocked doing 118km/h in a 100km/h zone less than 2km from the crash scene less than an hour prior.
He and his female passenger suffered minor injuries and stayed at the scene.
The man is in police custody.
Weir said the truck driver did not do anything to cause the crash. He was not injured.
The identities of those killed in the crash are still being confirmed, but it is believed the driver was a woman in her 60s who works in the local farming industry.
Her four passengers, a man and three women, are believed to be from Asia and work for her.
“This is a really difficult and protracted investigation that will go on for a long time,” Weir said.
“At some stage, I anticipate that charges will be laid.”
He said far too many lives had been lost on roads already this year.
More than 90 people have been killed on Victorian roads this year, compared to 79 at this time last year.
Anyone who witnessed the collision or has dashcam footage is urged to contact police.
Source: 9news.com.au
