A hellish car crash outside a Victorian pub has torn apart two families and traumatised first responders, with the scenes likely to “haunt them forever”.
Two families have been caught up in a horror crash in regional Victoria that has been described as an “absolute tragedy”.
The carnage unfolded on Sunday night after a white BMW X5 crashed into the busy venue and hit customers sitting outside just after 6pm, leaving five dead and five injured.
A six year old boy, two men in their 30s, and a woman in her 40s died at the scene while a teenage girl later died in hospital.
A man has been taken into police custody after the crash, with police now waiting to interview the 66-year-old man from Mt Macedon as he undergoes treatment for shock and minor wounds.
He was breath tested at the scene and found to have no alcohol in his system.
FAMILIES LIKELY CAUGHT UP IN CRASH
The crash was described as an “absolute tragedy” by Chief Commissioner Shane Patton.
“There were in essence two groups, two different family groups that were known to each other who were significantly involved and impacted by this,” he told reporters on Monday.
They are not believed to be from the Daylesford area.
Hundreds of patrons had flocked to the pub to celebrate the unofficial long weekend with the Melbourne Cup public holiday coming up on Tuesday.
Multiple businesses in the Albert St area told NCA NewsWire they didn’t believe any locals from the “tight-knit community” were among the deceased
One business owner, who did not wish to be named, said she had heard a worker from the hotel had been injured.
The car ploughed through an area that had been set up with “lots” of tables and chairs in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, with customers from the Royal Hotel and other businesses using it.
Mr Patton said he had been told by the area’s head of road policing that the scene was the “worst and most confronting that he had ever been to”.
“The way those police officers conducted themselves was absolutely amazing, totally professional, but it comes as a cost as well,” he said.
“They will take that scene with them for many, many years … some may never lose that scene. It may haunt them forever.”
Jugs and drinks from the pub can still be seen at the scene. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brandan Beckett
The scene has been described as ‘complex’ by investigators. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brandan Beckett
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said “the hearts of all Australians go out to everyone affected”.
“We are all shocked by what happened in Daylesford and so deeply saddened – for those whose lives were so cruelly cut short, and for those who can never be the same again,” he said.
CHIEF COP SLAMS CRASH RUMOURS
Mr Patton rejected reports that officers were delayed in reaching the scene or members of the public were left banging on the door of the police station trying to get help.
“That’s totally incorrect,” he told reporters on Monday.
“The station was staffed, two police officers heard the collision and as I understand ran to the scene. It’s a matter of a couple of 100m or so, and they were some of the first officers on the scene.
“And they did exactly what they’re trained to do and we’re very proud.”
Local police officers ran to the scene after hearing the crash Mr Patton said. Picture: ABC
The white BMW was travelling southwest down the town’s busy Albert St when it mounted a gutter and drove through the beer garden, according to Superintendent John Fitzpatrick.
“It’s a very complex scene,” he said.
Police are exploring “every avenue” into why the crash took place, including that there was a medical episode involved.
“I will say the driver is not a person who‘s known to us through national security interests, he is not a person who has prior convictions other than some traffic offending as in speeding tickets,” Mr Patton said.
Police are not yet sure if speeding was a factor in the crash, with Mr Patton saying it was an “open area of exploration”.
Community members have left flowers at the scene in the wake of the tragedy. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brendan Beckett
“The vehicle was travelling at some speed, whether that’s excessive or not needs to be determined through our reconstruction which is currently taking place.”
A woman from a business next to the Royal Daylesford told NCA NewsWire that she and her staff saw some of the bodies on the pavement.
“We’re all pretty shocked,” she said.
“It’s pretty bad, I’ve never seen anything so traumatic in my life.”
She said she had closed her business and would keep it closed on Monday.
Another woman who watched the nightmare unfold described it as “horrifying”.
“There were bodies everywhere, it was horrifying,” she said.
“I watched the whole crash. The car went up into the sky. I thought it was just dust. It’s only now I know it was bodies.”
A 66-year-old man driving the car has been receiving treatment at Ballarat Hospital. . Picture: NCA NewsWire / Josie Hayden
MORE PATIENTS IN HOSPITAL
On top of the five deaths, five more people are now in hospital receiving treatment for a wide range of injuries.
A boy, believed to be six years old, was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition; however, he has since been stabilised and is receiving treatment for broken legs and internal injuries.
An 11-month-old baby was taken to Ballarat Base Hospital in a stable condition.
Three adults were flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital on Sunday night, with a 35-year-old woman now in ICU in a serious condition, a 43-year-old woman now stable and a 38-year-old man also stable.
COMMUNITY RESPONDS TO TRAGEDY
Mr Patton commended members of the community who responded immediately to the tragedy.
“There were numerous people there, community members, visitors, many people in the proximity who selflessly came out and aided those who were dying, aided those who needed first aid, just disregarded their own safety,” he said.
Droves of community members, some tearful, attended the site of the incident to lay flowers through Monday morning.
Jenna Acquarola and James Deriu attended the scene to lay flowers on Monday morning.
“Just knowing that that happened… it‘s so sad for Daylesford,” Ms Acquarola said.
“We were here five minutes after it… and we saw it and it was just horrible.”
People have flocked to the crash site to pay their respects. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brendan Beckett
Mr Deriu said bystanders who were first on the scene were visibly “traumatised”.
“They were beside themselves,” he said.
Ms Acquarola said in the moments following the incident the area was flooded with police officers and bystanders rushing to help, while multiple white sheets had been laid over bodies on the road.
“It was a beautiful night, it was warm, the sun was going down,” she said of the busy area.
“And it was instantly just destroyed.”
Several businesses adjacent to the scene made the decision to remain closed on Monday despite the increased presence of visitors in the popular tourist town over the Melbourne Cup weekend.
Jesse Leith, who owns a cafe and bar nearby on Vincent St, described the scene as horrific. He heard commotion in the street immediately after the crash.
The intersection around the crash site has remained taped off to the public. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Brandan Beckett
“There was yelling and an eruption of noise in the street,” he said.
Mr Leith closed his business early following the crash and said many others had done the same. He said the mood was sombre among the business owners and workers still on the street.
“We’ve been saying how no one remembers anything like this happening in Daylesford,” he said. “It’s a shock for a small town like this.”
One shaken shop owner, who drove past the scene just five minutes after the BMW had crashed through the outdoor seating, said she was hoping to close early.
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