Victoria Police slam driver’s callous choice after fatal crash in Melbourne: ‘Just letting his passenger die’

Police have criticized a driver accused of leaving the scene of an accident and leaving his female passenger in the front seat of a rented truck.

The male driver, 32, reportedly lost control of the truck and crashed into a pole in Melbourne’s south-east just before 3am on Monday.

Moments after the crash, the male driver was seen running from the scene, but a 47-year-old woman was left fighting for life with catastrophic injuries.

“I went outside, I heard screaming and I found a lady in the car, trapped,” neighbor Rob Ridgley told 7NEWS.

Paramedics were unable to save her.

The police dog unit found the male driver hiding in a bush a kilometer away from the crash site.

Victoria Police Detective Sergeant Stephen Hill told reporters he could not understand how someone could leave another person for dead.

“These two people clearly know each other, and he made the heartless choice to just let his passenger die,” Hill said.

The truck was full of household items, but it is not known whether these belonged to the couple.

There were no skid marks on the road and police say there is no evidence the driver attempted to use the emergency brake before the truck left the road and struck a pole.

The man is still in police custody, but has not yet been prosecuted.

Anyone who saw the truck before the crash and has dashcam footage or information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.