Woman killed as out-of-control car ploughs into family
Rachael Ward and Callum Godde |
A woman is dead after an elderly driver lost control of her car, hitting three pedestrians before ploughing through a fence near a playground.
The Toyota Yaris, driven by a 91-year-old woman, mounted the footpath on Coleman Road at Wantirna South, in Melbourne’s east, about 12.20pm on Thursday.
Three people, a man and woman in their 30s or 40s with a young boy, were hit by the car after the driver lost control.
The woman died at the scene.
Both the boy – believed to be aged three or four – and the man were taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Superintendent Justin Goldsmith said police were investigating the relationship between victims but it was likely they were a young family.
The trio was walking in the same direction as the car was travelling when it struck them.
“It came from behind,” Supt Goldsmith told reporters.
“It looks like it’s (lost control) about 40m or 50m before the collision with the people who were walking on the other side of that road.”
The out-of-control car continued down the road for another 200m, hitting a street sign and smashing through a fence before coming to a stop near a playground.
“No one was hit at the park thankfully,” Supt Goldsmith said.
The driver, who was “terribly shaken” and had minor scratches, was taken to hospital for assessment and blood testing.
Police would look at whether speed was a contributing factor.
“That will be subject to the investigation, but it is downhill section of road, so if there has been a lack of control to some degree there is possibility the car would have picked up speed as it’s driven further down Coleman Road,” Supt Goldsmith said.
Detectives were speaking with witnesses and hoped to interview the driver.
The crash happened during the first week of Victorian school holidays and took the state’s road toll to 14 in the last seven days.
“We’re facing a horrific month for road trauma,” Supt Goldsmith said.
The state has recorded a number of deadly crashes involving out-of-control vehicles in recent years.
In November, a kindergarten worker and a three-year-old boy was injured when a runaway truck smashed through the gate of Macedon Ranges Montessori Preschool’s playground.
Two weeks earlier, an 11-year-old boy was killed and four other students injured when an SUV crashed through a fence at Auburn South Primary School in Melbourne’s east.
Five people were killed and six injured in November 2023 when a diabetic driver passed out behind the wheel and crashed into patrons seated outside the Royal Daylesford Hotel.
The driver was charged but the allegations were ultimately struck out after a magistrate found there was not enough evidence to support a conviction.
AAP
