Tragic update after little boy is killed while trying to cross the road with his dad in Melbourne

A little boy was tragically killed when he was struck by a ute as he tried to cross a busy road with his father during one of the worst weekends on the country's roads, just days after Christmas.

Ten people died on NSW roads this weekend alone, while the toddler in Melbourne became the 281st person to die on Victoria's roads this year.

Emergency services rushed to the scene in Dandenong North on Sunday after reports a two-year-old boy had been hit by a vehicle.

The boy died on the spot despite desperate attempts to revive him, leading to harrowing scenes.

Distraught relatives were seen being comforted by friends and emergency workers as the state's toll reached a 15-year high.

The male driver, 60, from Gippsland stopped at the scene and assisted police with inquiries.

He has since been released by the police, who are treating the fatal accident as a tragic accident. No charges have been laid at this stage.

The exact circumstances of the collision have yet to be determined.

It is understood the toddler was waiting to cross the busy Stud Road with his father when he walked onto the road.

“Obviously it's a young child, it's quite traumatic and no one wants to be called to that,” Senior Sergeant David Hewatt said.

Shocked locals told Nine news it was the tragedy waiting to happen because you can't cross the road anywhere safely.

“I just think it's terrible,” Miguel Torres said.

“They should at least install a bridge or an easier way for pedestrians to cross the road.”

Victoria's road network toll in 2023 is now 49 more than the same time last year.

Authorities are urging motorists to slow down and be careful on the roads as the festive season kicks off, with national road tolls rising by six percent.

Ten people died on NSW roads within 48 hours during one of the worst weekends on record.

Among them was an elderly man who was on his way home from the local bowling club in the central west of the state.

Ray Padgett, 84, was traveling home with his daughter on the Cowra Bowling Club free bus when a Kia Sorrento collided with the minibus late on Saturday evening.

Mr Padgett was thrown from the minibus and died at the scene. Four others in the minibus were injured and taken to hospital

The 32-year-old Kia driver is said to have fled before being arrested nearby a short time later.

He was questioned by police on Sunday and spent the night in custody after being charged with a series of offences.

These included dangerous driving resulting in death – dangerous driving style, causing bodily harm by misconduct – driving motor vehicles, negligent driving (resulting in death) and two cases of knowingly making false/ misleading statements.

He will appear in court in Orange on Monday.

This weekend's toll included that of mother Trish O'Brien, 38, and her long-term partner John Stanton, 40, who died in a single vehicle crash near Wagga Wagga in the state's Riverina region on Saturday.

Police said Stanton lost control of his car at the end of a long stretch of Keajura Rd and crashed into a tree.

It comes after 17-year-old P-plate driver Mahee Uddin was killed in a single-vehicle crash on the M5 at Revesby in Sydney's south-west on Friday evening.

About 338 people have been killed on NSW roads this year, 77 more than in 2022 and the highest number of road deaths in six years.

The year of horror on NSW roads has been punctuated by high-profile tragedies such as the Hunter Valley bush crash, which killed 10 revelers as they were driven home from a wedding in June, and a September crash in Heckenberg that killed two siblings.

Nine-year-old James Edds is among the victims, and his father, Stewart Edds, relives the anguish of the trauma every time he hears that another person has been killed on the road.

On January 4, while James and his mother, Anastasia, were on their way to buy football boots with the money James had received from Santa, a drunk driver recklessly ignored a give way sign at Killarney Vale and collided with their vehicle.

Kristie Fiona Merrett, 51, recently pleaded guilty to aggravated dangerous driving and causing harm by misconduct.

She is currently behind bars and will be sentenced at a later date.

“You never want anyone else to go through that first phone call I got… Anastasia called me, she was hysterical, she said, 'James won't wake up,'” Mr Edds said told the Daily Telegraph.

'The next call I got was: 'James still won't wake up, they're airlifting him to John Hunter Hospital.'

Trauma specialists told his family that James bore the brunt of the crash when the 4WD crashed into his passenger door.

In addition, he experienced a second significant impact when the airbag deployed, causing him to be pushed again.

James died in hospital two days later from his injuries. Although his mother physically survived the crash, the family revealed that she continues to suffer ongoing emotional pain due to the loss of her only child in the accident.

Peter Frazer, the founder of Safer Australia Roads and Highways (SARAH), made a poignant plea to drivers.

His daughter Sarah, 23, was tragically killed on the Hume Highway in 2012.

She was on her way to college when her car broke down and veered into the emergency lane while she waited for help.

A passing truck sideswiped the broken-down car, killing both Sarah and the tow truck driver who had come to her rescue.

“As we head into Christmas and New Year, we need to slow down and give people the space they need to be safe, and make sure we're also not driving distractedly or under the influence of alcohol or drugs,” Frazer told Sunrise. on Monday.

“We haven't really improved in the last ten years.”

NSW Premier Chris Minns is under increasing pressure after significantly reducing the number of random breath tests and abolishing hidden speed cameras.

He defended the government's decision on Sunday to ditch hidden speed cameras.

“I never believed that the idea of ​​someone receiving tolls in the post just weeks after committing an offense would slow people down on NSW roads,” Mr Minns said.

“When it comes to increased RBT enforcement… The most important measure is recruiting and retaining more police. That is the starting point. We are more than a thousand police officers short of the permitted strength.'

He said removing the pay cap and paying police recruits to study has recently led to an increase in the number of people being trained as officers.