Buxton crash: Five teenagers killed in crash after ute smashed into a tree as driver, 18, survives

Five teenagers have been killed and and one hospitalised after a horror car crash saw the vehicle lose control and slam into a tree. 

The Nissan Navara utility crashed on East Parade, Buxton, a town of around 1000, near Picton, 100km southwest of Sydney, on Tuesday evening. 

Emergency services including fire fighters, paramedics and police, rushed to the scene just after 8pm and were confronted with ‘absolute chaos’. 

Police say they have located three teenage girls and three teenage boys in the wreckage who are believed to be local and as young as 14 or 15.  

The 18-year-old male driver of the Nisson Navara ute survived with his injuries said to be non-life threatening. 

He was seen staring up into the sky as paramedics wheeled him to a waiting ambulance and took him to Liverpool Hospital for mandatory testing. 

NSW police said on Tuesday evening: ‘Three female and two male passengers all believed to be of similar age, died at the scene.’

Charges have not been laid. 

Confronting images from the scene show the crumpled vehicle wedged between two trees – as police describe the scene as the worst they’ve seen in years. 

Camden police superintendent Paul Fuller told the Daily Telegraph the teenagers were local kids and attended the nearby Picton High School. 

‘So it’s a horrific accident scene and a tragedy of this magnitude is going to have ripple effects … for their families, friends and through the local community,’ he said.

‘I’ve been in the police for 38 years and it’s one of the worst accident scenes I’ve ever come across.’ 

Supt Fuller said some of the first responders at the scene would have recognised some of the victims of the fatal crash. 

He said he had spoken with the principal of Picton High School and that counselling would be provided to students on Wednesday. 

Superintendent Adam Druber told the Today Show on Wednesday that despite the best efforts of first responders ‘there wasn’t much anyone could do’. 

‘A complication around these types of incidents especially in these communities, is a lot of the emergency service workers, firefighters, possibly know the victims which adds that extra complexity to what we do in the community,’ he said. 

Fire and Rescue NSW said numerous emergency crews attended ‘at a serious crash on East Parade involving numerous casualties’.

A medical team that arrived by helicopter also attended.

Officers from Camden Police Area Command established a crime scene, which is being examined by specialist police from the Crash Investigation Unit. 

‘An investigation into the circumstances surrounding the crash is under way (and) a report will be prepared for the Coroner,’ a police spokesman said.

A man who lives near to the crash scene said he heard sirens shortly after the incident and saw a helicopter land in a nearby field. 

‘We heard the emergency services vehicles responding really quickly and saw the lights flashing, it lit up the whole street,’ Justin Davis told The Daily Telegraph.

Mr Davis said the area is normally very quite.

‘Even when kids ride their motorbikes along the streets they do it quietly,’ he said.

Images from the scene show the car torn to pieces near the front of houses as distraught locals arrived to the devastation. 

Residents in their pyjamas were seen being interviewed by police.

No other vehicles were involved in the crash, which happened near Buxton’s town centre.

Police are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or information about this incident to contact them, or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

On Tuesday evening, a spokesman for Fire and Rescue NSW told Daily Mail Australia that all its officers have now returned to their stations where they are being debriefed after the catastrophic crash.