Police say four people killed and five injured in a mini-van crash near Cobram in Victoria’s north may have been farm workers from the area.
A white mini-van struck a tree on Chapel Road in Muckatah, about 10 kilometres south of Cobram, at 5pm yesterday.
The crash happened on a narrow road in a farming area near Cobram. (ABC News)
Four adult passengers in the white Toyota Hiace van, who are yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
The five injured, including a child, two teenage girls and the male driver, were taken to various hospitals.
The child remains in the Royal Children’s Hospital with critical upper and lower body injuries.
Superintendent Ashley Mason says the “senseless loss of life” will devastate families in the lead-up to Christmas. (ABC News)
Acting Superintendent Ashley Mason said the van was carrying six adults — three men and three women, as well as three children aged between 10 and 16.
Acting Superintendent Mason said some of the injured suffered multiple, critical injuries.
“The … relationship between the occupants of the vehicle is also unknown to us and will be part of our investigation … but there is a possibility that they could have been workers within the local area,” he said.
Last year, two migrant farm workers were killed and nine people were injured in a similar mini-bus crash at Carwarp, near Mildura in the state’s north west.
In November 2023, four farm workers from the Pacific Islands were killed in a crash south of Mansfield.
Narrow, rural road
Phillip Barnes, 67, who has lived on Chapel Road all his life, said some locals avoided the narrow bitumen road because of the amount of traffic that used it.
“During the summer, a lot of campers, caravans and fruit pickers go up and down the road,” he said.
“I think the GPS brings them along.”
Mr Barnes said trucks also used the road, which has a 100 kilometres per hour speed limit.
“We’ve had one neighbour reckon he’s going to get a petition going to get a metre of bitumen on either side, so you don’t have to move into the gravel when a car passes you,” he said.
“You have to move into gravel when a car approaches you and when the stones start spraying and the dust, it can be hairy.”
Graeme Emonson says the fatal crash has devastated the Cobram and Katamatite communities. (ABC News: By Ashlee Aldridge)
Moira Shire Council chair administrator Graeme Emonson said some rural roads presented heightened risk.
“We all know that our local roads have particular characteristics that lend themselves to be a high-risk environment, and we all need to take extreme and special care, particularly at this time of year,” he said.
The Victoria Police Major Collision Investigation Unit is investigating the crash.
Meanwhile, police are investigating a fatal crash at Warrayure, west of Hamilton this morning.
A loaded livestock truck and a car collided near the intersection of Glenelg Highway and North Mibus Road about 8:15am.
The truck rolled on its side and both vehicles caught on fire.
The driver of the car, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
The truck driver was taken to hospital with minor injuries.