UPDATE: Tuesday, 14 April
By KATH GANNAWAY
A BIRTHDAY celebration turned to tragedy in a heartbeat in Milners Road at Launching Place on Friday night.
The scene that greeted nearby residents and emergency services, just after 11pm, was chaotic and horrible.
Upper Yarra 21-year-old, Charlie Robertson, died at the scene and two friends, a 22-year-old male from Three Bridges and a 22-year-old woman from Croydon, are fighting for their lives in hospital.
Two other friends from the local area, and the driver from Patterson Lakes, escaped with minor injuries.
Detective Sergeant Mark Amos of the Major Collision Investigation Unit said the group had left the Wesburn Hotel and were travelling from Yarra Junction on the back road to Launching Place when the driver over-corrected on a bend and rolled the vehicle.
“Potentially the vehicle has rolled a number of times,” Det Sgt Amos said.
He said potentially all six people in the five-seater four-wheel-drive were ejected, with a ‘good chance’ they weren’t wearing seatbelts.
“The causes we are looking at are alcohol and speed,” he said, but added the investigators would also be keeping an open mind on other causes such as distraction, poor behaviour and drugs.
Andrew Swann who lives within metres of the bend where the driver lost control described it as a “shocking corner”.
He and his wife, a nurse, rushed to help when they heard the crash.
Mr Swann said it was a devastating scene, but that emergency services arrived quickly.
He said the corner was notoriously bad.
“We’ve been here for four years and had four crashes in that time.
“So many people lose control there and that’s not even counting the many near misses.”
He said Yarra Ranges Council had put barriers on the inside of the corner following requests from residents to address the issue of speed and general safety on the road.
He said more needed to be done, and that residents would like to see more police patrols on the road.
“What we see is that it’s a popular back road with locals when the local footy finishes which gets them off the highway.”
The loss of another local young person, and with two others critically injured, has brought an outpouring of grief and solidarity on social media with Charlie being remembered as a “one of the best blokes” and “one of the funniest, best blokes … taken too soon”.
One post said it all. “Thinking of everyone affected today and feeling like this is enough. Too many people taken from us too early… “
Anyone with information which could help with the inquiry is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Saturday, 11 April
By KATH GANNAWAY and JESSE GRAHAM
ONE man has been killed and two others critically injured after a car rollover in Launching Place last night.
Police believe the driver of the car lost control of the vehicle, which rolled and crashed into trees on Milners Road, Launching Place, at 11.10pm on Friday 10 April.
Six people were in the car at the time, and a man – one of the passengers – died at the scene.
Another man, from Three Bridges, and a woman were taken to The Alfred Hospital with life-threatening injuries, while the male driver and the two other male passengers were taken to Maroondah Hospital with minor injuries.
The driver has since been released, and is assisting police with their enquiries.
All of the car’s occupants were in their earlier 20s, and the car has a capacity of five.
Police believe everyone in the car may have been ejected from the vehicle at the time of the crash.
Officers from the Major Collision Investigation Unit (MCIU) are investigating the circumstances of the crash, and police and the Mail were at the scene of the accident this morning.
MCIU Detective Sergeant Mark Amos said the family of the deceased man had been notified, and police were trying to determine the cause of the crash.
“What we’re looking at is alcohol and speed,” Det Sgt Amos said.
“But we’re also keeping an open mind for drugs, distraction or possible other aspects, such as poor behaviour.”
A resident, one of the first on the scene, told the Mail that the corner where the crash occurred had been a trouble spot in recent years, with four crashes in the last four years and a number of near-misses.
Anyone with information on the crash is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential crime report to www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.
The provisional road toll for the year is now 78, matching the toll at the same time last year.
For the full story, see Tuesday’s Mail.
