One heartbreaking photo of a lone police officer exposes the terrible reality of the Daylesford pub tragedy
A lone police officer quietly carries a stroller away from a scene that seemed as close to a bomb site in a war zone as anything in Australia could get.
Only the night before, the little child in the stroller had been completely unaware of the carnage that was about to happen.
An 11-month-old baby was injured and five members of two young families were killed when an SUV plowed through a packed pub beer garden in Daylesford – about a 90-minute drive northwest of Melbourne – on Sunday evening.
The horror of what happened outside the historic Royal Hotel just after 6pm will haunt everyone who witnessed it and the bloody aftermath.
A police officer removes a pram from the tragic crime scene in Daylesford
The boy who was in the stroller is said to have survived the horror accident
On Monday, the hard-boiled TV cameramen were still pale from what they had seen hours earlier.
A veteran cameraman told Ny Breaking Australia he had never seen anything like it.
What he described is too gruesome to publish, but it was enough to make him sick.
The pub and makeshift beer garden were pumping thanks to the rare spring heat and an unofficial day off on Monday thanks to the Melbourne Cup bank holiday on Tuesday.
Although the investigation is still ongoing, the cause appears to be nothing other than a tragic accident; a “sliding door” moment ripped the heart out of a thriving, feel-good community.
Daylesford is a destination for couples, families and singles looking to spend a good time away from the hustle and bustle of Melbourne’s CBD.
Those involved in Sunday night’s massacre appeared to be mostly out-of-towners doing just that.
Forensic cleaners used paper towels to clean up oil, blood and dirt
Mourners are still attending an impromptu memorial at the scene
The drive to Daylesford itself offers beautiful scenery of lush hills and serene wilderness filled with wineries, farm shops and boutique shops to escape to.
The town itself consists of small galleries, cafes, bakeries and pubs where people can relax and enjoy the rural atmosphere.
On Monday, most of the city appears to be functioning normally: at least half of the main street.
At the roundabout leading to Hepburn Springs, Ballarat and Castlemaine, the atmosphere has taken on a much darker tone.
For much of Monday, blue and white police tape blocked off large parts of the area, with only a small walking path allowing mourners to get to the scene of chaos.
For much of the morning, forensic police worked painstakingly in grisly scenes to remove every last bit of shrapnel, oil and blood.
Using high-pressure water, police submerged the lawn where the dead had enjoyed an evening drink just hours earlier.
Mourners comfort each other at the site where the tragic accident occurred
Cleaners spent hours removing all evidence of the tragic crash
They used paper towels to wipe up puddles of mud from the road and worked on their hands and knees to pick up and clean up anything that might remind them of what happened there.
While TV cameras and reporters stand a respectful distance from what has become a makeshift memorial, mourners have remained at the scene throughout the day.
Parents with their young children, the elderly, young couples and singles with flowers.
Nearly all had never met those who died or were injured in the crash.
“We just wanted to come and pay our respects,” said a young family from Melbourne.
Along the main road, plainclothes detectives, one with a gun strapped to his leg, walk from store to store, looking for answers about how this tragedy happened.
Most seem to know as much as anyone: a guy had a medical episode and ran everyone over.
While the thought of a 66-year-old man suffering a medical episode conjures up certain mental images, those who saw him after the incident on Sunday say he looked as fit as a fiddle.
“He wasn’t your old-looking 66-year-old,” a witness told Ny Breaking Australia. ‘He looked young and fit for his age.’
The hotel where Sunday evening diners were mowed down
The first indications are that the cause of the man’s gas pedal was the result of a diabetes attack.
On the ground in Daylesford, the cause of the crash takes a back seat to how to deal with it in the coming days and weeks.
For now, a team of mental health professionals are roaming the crime scene, offering help to anyone who needs it.
Hepburn Shire Mayor Brian Hood has been at the crash site all day speaking to reporters and mourners.
The Royal Hotel – a beacon of community activity and support in times when tragedy is not imminent – remains closed and will not reopen until at least Thursday.
It’s a similar story across the road at the Daylesford Cheese & Wine Merchant and the RSL, where many witnesses sat and watched the horror unfold across the street.
On what should have been a great Cup Eve day full of drinks and good times, only sadness and misery now greet the people of Daylesford.