Two dead in horror night on city streets as teen is killed in ‘catastrophic’ fireball and woman dies when car plows into tree
- Backseat passenger, 16, killed in fiery crash in Melbourne
- Police claim the car was driven by a boy, also 16
- Female passenger died hours earlier in separate crash
Police are investigating multiple overnight car crashes in Melbourne that claimed the lives of two people, including a 16-year-old boy.
The crashes occurred in quick succession in the early hours of Saturday morning in the suburbs of Beaconsfield, in Melbourne’s southeast, and Chirnside Park, in the northeast.
Victoria Police said a car, reportedly driven by a 16-year-old boy, collided with three parked cars on Edward Rd, Chirnside Park at around 2.05am before catching fire.
Police and witnesses removed three boys from the car, but the rear passenger, a 16-year-old Montrose boy, died at the scene despite the best efforts of paramedics.
A 16-year-old boy has died and two other teenagers are in hospital after a tragic accident in Chirnside Park (pictured)
The driver and front passenger, a 16-year-old Mooroolbark boy, were both taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A neighbor told Nine News that the teenage driver was unconscious when people tried to free him from the burning car.
“The gentleman who was driving and was initially unconscious woke up halfway through when the car was on fire and cried asking for his mother and saying this hurt,” the man told Nine News on Saturday.
Major Collision Investigation Unit Detective Sergeant Daryll Out told reporters on Saturday that investigations are underway to determine how the crash happened.
Victoria Police said the car, reportedly driven by a 16-year-old boy, collided with three parked cars on Edward Rd, Chirnside Park at around 2:05am before catching fire
“We will investigate whether alcohol was involved, whether high speed was a factor and the degree of inexperience,” he said.
“I think they kind of got together and decided to go for a ride.
“Of course just a bad decision and a catastrophe that shouldn’t have happened.”
The fireball struck two hours after another car crashed into a tree on Old Princes Hwy, killing a female passenger who died at the scene.
The male driver, who was arrested at the scene and is reportedly assisting police, while a second man was flown to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the incident.
In the 12 months to March 30, 262 people lost their lives on Victorian roads – a rolling increase of 10 per cent.
The sharp increase led to a call from the police to road users in February to be extra careful.