Daylesford hotel crash: What we know so far
Save articles for later
Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time.
Five people, including a teenage girl and a young boy, were killed after an SUV ploughed through a Daylesford beer garden on Sunday evening.
Another five people were injured, with a young boy and 11-month-old baby among those recovering in hospital.
The victims killed in a car crash were part of two Victorian families visiting Daylesford together before tragedy struck.
This is what we know so far about how the Daylesford crash unfolded:
Beer garden crash victims were on a weekend family getaway
Just after 6pm on Sunday, diners were gathered outside the Royal Daylesford Hotel’s beer garden sitting on picnic tables. It is Melbourne Cup Day on Tuesday, an annual public holiday, but many Victorian families opt to take the Monday off and make it a long weekend.
The pub is in the tourist town of Daylesford about 110 kilometres northwest of Melbourne. It sits on a prominent spot on the edge of a major traffic roundabout in the centre of town behind a kerb and at the bottom of a hill.
Built in 1856 the pub has been fully restored and is a popular destination to stay and eat.
Five people were killed after a car ploughed into them outside a Daylesford pub.Credit: Nine News
Two families in beer garden at the centre of the collision
Two families on the weekend getaway together – who are from Victoria but not locals – bore the brunt of the collision. Two men aged in their 30s, a woman aged in her 40s, and a boy died at the scene. A girl was flown to the Alfred hospital and later died at 9.40pm. Police are still working on identifying the group and have not revealed how they are related to one another.
An aerial view of the crash scene.Credit: Joe Armao
The survivors who remain in hospital are a primary school-aged boy with broken legs and internal injuries, an 11-month-old boy in a stable condition, a 35-year-old woman in intensive care in a serious condition, a 43-year-old woman and a 38-year-old man who are both stable.
Witnesses described the moment the SUV mounted the kerb and struck patrons
Witnesses called the scene of the crash a “nightmare” after a white BMW SUV jumped the kerb in front of the pub and slammed into patrons sitting at picnic tables on a grassy al fresco area in front of the pub. The car rammed the crowd and then struck a light pole before stopping at a nearby intersection.
The driver apparently missed a sharp right-hand bend in the road
The white BMW X-range SUV was travelling down the hill westward along Albert Street towards the Midland Highway when the driver apparently missed a sharp right-hand bend in the road. The vehicle mounted the kerb and drove into a crowd of dozens of pub patrons gathered in an al fresco area in front of the pub.
Witnesses described seeing the BMW strike the curb, run through the crowd and strike a light pole on the far side of the grass area before spinning out and coming to rest in an intersection nearby.
Police to interview driver on Melbourne Cup Day
The driver is a 66-year-old man who lives in Mount Macedon. He was taken to hospital with minor injuries and treated for shock. The man was breath tested and no alcohol was detected. He also holds a valid licence with no conditions and is not known to police. Blood test results are ongoing.
A witness said the driver remained seated in his car after the incident, looking straight ahead and not reacting.
The cause of the crash is still unknown with specialist investigators from the major collision unit on scene trying to determine what happened and if speed was a factor. They will also look into the man’s medical history and take advice from doctors.
The damaged white BMW SUV outside the pub on Sunday night.Credit: Nine
Investigators expect to interview the driver after he leaves hospital on Tuesday which could also help shed light on the tragedy.
Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.
Most Viewed in Politics
From our partners
Source: Read Full Article