Three Dead, Including Teenager, in Victoria Multi-Vehicle Crash

A 14-year-old girl was among three fatalities in a multi-vehicle collision that also left an 11-year-old girl in critical condition and injured a learner driver. The crash occurred on the Western Highway near Mount Drummond Road at Ledcourt, in northwest Victoria, on Sunday at approximately 6:45 p.m.

Two individuals in one of the vehicles died at the scene. In the second car, a 14-year-old girl sustained injuries and later died after being flown to the hospital. An 11-year-old girl, a passenger in the same car, suffered upper body injuries and is in critical condition. The 17-year-old learner driver of that vehicle was transported to the hospital with minor upper body injuries. A 43-year-old female passenger in the second car was uninjured, and the truck driver was also unharmed.

Detective Acting Sergeant Leigh Miller stated that an investigation into the cause of the crash is underway. "At this stage we don't know why the collision has occurred but what we will be investigating is whether fatigue or distraction, [or] whether speed is involved," Miller said. He noted that the incident occurred during the holiday period when traffic was heavy as people were returning home, and emphasized the importance of road safety.