Toddler Dies After Being Struck by Car in Victoria

A one-year-old girl has died after being struck by a car in the driveway of a home in Victoria's Central Highlands. Emergency services were dispatched to the Vermont Road address in Smythesdale, near Ballarat, around 1:20 p.m. on Monday following reports a child had been hit by a vehicle.

Specialist paramedics treated the toddler at the scene before she was transported by road ambulance to a nearby park for airlift to the Royal Children's Hospital in critical condition. She succumbed to her injuries on Monday night.

Victoria Police have initiated an investigation into the incident and will prepare a report for the coroner. A white ute was observed in the driveway, which was cordoned off with police tape on Monday afternoon. Multiple police vehicles were present outside the property.

According to the Herald Sun, two other young children were seen leaving the home with relatives following the tragedy. Smythesdale is described as a small rural town with a population of 1,800, based on the 2021 census.