Eight dead in tragic end to National Road Safety week
Four women killed on their way home from a line dancing event on Saturday looked like they were sleeping when police found them, two of them holding hands.
Family and friends confirmed the women were Dianne Barr, 64, from Heywood; Claudia Jackson, 72 from Portland; Tess Ely, 74, from Hamilton; and Elaine Middleton, 75, from Hamilton.
Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer, who flew to the crash scene near Ararat on Saturday, described it as surreal and said it would haunt him for some time.
"Whilst horrific, it was surreal, to have four women who looked like they were just asleep, they died from internal injuries," he said.
"The image I won't forget was the driver was holding the hand of her front seat passenger as she passed, and it's that sort of image that my members, community members, the people who went to help, none of them will forget those sorts of images."
The crash happened about 6pm as the women drove home in a Kia from a St Arnaud line dancing event. A second car being driven by a 64-year-old woman allegedly sped through a stop sign and T-boned the Kia at the corner of Bains and Ararat-St Arnaud roads in Navarre.
It was one in a series of crashes that led to the deaths of six people in a horror night on Victoria's roads and marked a tragic end to National Road Safety Week.
Assistant Commissioner Fryer said residents from a nearby house had rushed to help at the Navarre crash.
"Everyone from that house came out to offer whatever assistance they could and tragically there is no support that could be given," he said.
The driver of the other car, who is from Stawell, was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. She is yet to be interviewed by police.
Gavin and Dianne Barr were working at rival mechanic shops when they first laid eyes on each other more than four decades ago.
“We’ve been right through life together,” Mr Barr said.
“Everyone in town knew her and not one person would’ve had a bad thing to say about her.”
A keen bootscooter of more than 15 years, Mrs Barr rarely missed an opportunity to shine her shoes for the dance floor.
Mr Barr said this weekend would have been the couple's 39th wedding anniversary.
“I was at home (on Saturday) waiting for Dianne because we run the local garage together so I have to be on call 24 hours,” he said.
“They left just for the day at 8.30am in the morning and they were really looking forward to it.
“I know she would’ve had a really good day line dancing with the girls.”
All four women had been members of the Hamilton Bootscooters for 23 years, since its inception, travelling to Hamilton each Thursday to dance. And on Wednesday between four and seven others would pair up in Heywood.
Mrs Barr leaves behind two sons and two granddaughters.
Cynthia Rennolds, who runs the line-dancing event the women had attended at St Arnaud town hall, described them as "fun loving" and said she had fielded messages from all over Australia.
"We’re just a big family, even though these people don’t know them, they’re all feeling our pain. We just can’t believe it," Ms Rennolds said.
Navarre residents Michael and Debborah Standfield watched the horror unfold from their home on the corner of Bains and Ararat-St Arnaud roads.
I know she would’ve had a really good day line dancing with the girls.
Gavin Barr, of his wife Dianne
Mrs Standfield said she was drinking a glass of wine on the porch with a friend when the two vehicles approached.
Like a slow motion picture, she said there was nothing she could do.
Mr Standfield, a retired police officer, said the intersection was a notorious spot.
Assistant Commissioner Fryer said there was nothing the driver of the Kia could have done to avoid the crash.
"We've got four women who have had a great day, on their way home to family, and at the blink of an eye four of them lost their lives," Assistant Commissioner Fryer said.
"Someone has just come through, has not seen a stop sign, and has come through at speed."
Ms Rennolds said the women loved life and line dancing.
"They were part of our little family. They were happy when they left, probably sitting in the car discussing how much fun they had during the day," she said.
"It’s senseless, I just can’t believe that four of them, we lost four of them in one fell swoop.
“We’ve got people as far away as Queensland right now who are just beside themselves.”
Hamilton’s Linda Rook had taught the four country ladies to line dance for more than 23 years and spent Saturday with them at the St Arnaud gathering.
All members of the Hamilton Bootscooters, Ms Rook said the women were an inseparable group.
“All the people who were dancing with the girls said they were having such a wonderful time,” she said.
“They’d been a part of the Hamilton group since it formed, a friendship of more than 23 years.”
Assistant Commissioner Fryer said the deaths would rip apart three communities.
"We're now delivering four death messages because a woman made a simple mistake and we implore everyone just to pay so much more attention on the roads," he said.
"We've got four women who won't see Christmas; they're mothers, they're grandmothers, they're wives and they're certainly friends, and buried in the community.
"So, you'll have three communities now grieving the loss of these women."
Following the Navarre crash, about 2.30am on Sunday, a man who is yet to be identified, died after another crash in Heathcote Junction, north of Melbourne.
Police believe the driver was travelling north on South Mountain Road when he lost control and drove through a farm fence.
Four passengers in the car were uninjured, but the driver died at the scene.
In Drysdale, near Geelong, a man in the front passenger seat of a car was flown to hospital with life-threatening injuries after a crash just before 2am.
Investigators believe the driver lost control and hit a power pole while driving on Carolanne Drive.
The second male passenger was uninjured and the 18-year-old driver suffered minor injuries and is assisting police with their enquiries.
Earlier in the night, about 10.30pm, a driver died in a single-vehicle collision in Bright, in north-east Victoria.
Police believe the driver was heading west on the Great Alpine Road when his car left the road and crashed into a tree.
Emergency services treated him, but he died before being taken to hospital. He is yet to be identified.
About 2pm on Saturday a motorcyclist died after being struck by a bus in Preston.
The eastbound rider and the Public Transport Victoria bus collided at the corner of Miller and High streets.
The 58-year-old man from The Basin was treated at the scene but later died in hospital.
About 3.30am on Saturday morning, a woman died and another was seriously injured in a crash in Dixons Creek, in north-east Victoria.
The car was travelling along Melba Highway through Dixons Creek when it veered off the road and crashed into a steep embankment.
The passenger died on the scene and the driver was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are investigating the Navarre crash that killed the four women.
The eight deaths take the state's road toll to 78. It was 89 at the same time last year.
The annual Road Trauma Support Services Victoria walk around Albert Park Lake marks the end of National Road Safety Week today.
The campaign aims to advocate for safer roads and raise funds to support people impacted by road trauma.
Cameron Sinclair, Road Trauma Support Services Victoria chief executive, said the road toll reaches far beyond the number of deaths and injuries each year.
“We must also come together in support of the people in our midst who live with the reality of road trauma, be they bereaved family members and friends, the injured, drivers involved in road crashes, emergency service workers and witnesses," Mr Sinclair said.
If you have any information on any of the crashes overnight, police are urging witnesses to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppers.com.au
Road Trauma Support Services Victoria offers support and counselling to anyone impacted by a road collision 1300 367 797.