Innocent motorist killed after stolen car involved in head-on crash in Toolern Vale
By Roy Ward
Two people are dead and a man has been taken to hospital after a head-on crash in Melbourne’s outer north-west.
State highway patrol officers were in the process of stopping another vehicle on Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road in Toolern Vale just before 10am on Sunday when a stolen Holden Cruze drove past them at high speed.
The stolen car continued down the road, crossed into the other lane and hit a car travelling in the opposite direction.
Both drivers died at the scene, and a passenger in the Holden was taken to hospital. Police have yet to formally identify either driver.
Ambulance Victoria said the passenger, aged in his 30s, had injuries to his upper body and was in a serious but stable condition.
Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy said police would get to the bottom of what happened and they are expected to be at the scene well into Sunday night.
Both drivers died at the scene.Credit: Nine News
“It’s carnage, to be honest. It’s horrific,” McEvoy said.
“The collision scene is extensive. Significant damage to both vehicles, and it’s resulted, obviously, in the fatal injuries to both drivers.”
Police said a vehicle check after the collision found the Holden Cruze had been stolen from Werribee South on Saturday sometime after 4.30pm.
Diggers Rest-Coimadai Road is a long, winding road with a single lane in either direction and stretches from Gisbourne Road on the border of Coimadai and Merrimu, to the Diggers Rest train station, where it connects to the Old Calder Highway.
The road was closed for several hours on Sunday between Ryans Lane and Holden Road as investigations were completed and the road cleared. It was still listed as closed on the VicTraffic website just before 4pm on Sunday.
Major collision investigation unit detectives are investigating the circumstances of the crash.
The police Professional Standards Command has also been notified and has oversight of the investigation, as is standard procedure.
Victoria’s provisional road toll is now at 188, which is higher than the same time last year, when the road toll was 184. Police and community leaders continue to appeal for drivers to slow down and drive to the conditions and the speed limit.
Police have appealed for anyone who witnessed the incident or has dashcam or CCTV footage to either make a confidential report online at www.crimestoppers.com.au or call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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