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A two-year-old boy’s condition has improved after he was struck by an out-of-control car in Melbourne’s outer east, in a crash which killed a woman and left a man fighting for life.
The toddler was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a critical condition on Thursday, after a 91-year-old woman allegedly lost control of her Toyota Yaris hatchback on Coleman Road at Wantirna South about 12.20pm.
The boy was stable as of Friday morning, while a 60-year-old man remained in a critical condition at The Alfred hospital.
A 59-year-old woman died at the scene on Thursday after the 91-year-old woman allegedly mounted a footpath, travelling up to 50 metres before the hatchback struck the trio from behind. Police said they were all local to the area.
Vision obtained by The Age appeared to show the car involved in the crash.
The CCTV footage from a house on Coleman Road depicted a silver hatchback travelling on the north side of the road, with a hubcap believed to be from the front left wheel seen rolling after it.
The footage also showed what appears to be a family walking with a pram in the opposite direction just before the time of the accident. The Age is yet to confirm whether the people in the video were involved in the accident. Witnesses saw a crushed pram at the scene in the aftermath of the crash.
The car continued for about 200 metres before it crossed to the other side of Coleman Road and ploughed through a lightweight steel fence and into a park bench overlooking a children’s playground.
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The force of the impact ripped the bench out of its concrete footings and destroyed the front section of the car, but fortunately, nobody was playing in the park at the time of the crash.
Police were yet to interview the 91-year-old woman as of Thursday night. She was taken to hospital for assessment and blood tests after the crash.
They were yet to provide an update on whether she had been interviewed on Friday morning.
The section of Coleman Road where the accident occurred features chicanes intended to slow traffic ahead of a slight bend and slope down toward a children’s playground.
Police said it was not yet clear whether the driver had struck or attempted to avoid the chicanes before mounting the footpath.
“That driver has then continued with something of a lack of control down Coleman Road. We’re not sure about the speed, that will be the subject of the investigation.
“But it is a downhill section of road, so if there has been a lack of control to some degree, there is a possibility that the car would have picked up speed as it streamed down.”
The car continued for about 200m before crossing to the other side of Coleman Road and ploughing through a lightweight steel fence – designed more to stop children playing in the park from running onto the road than to protect them from a car – and into a park bench overlooking a children’s playground, where it became wedged.
With Grant McArthur, Alexander Darling, Hannah Hammoud
Anyone who witnessed the incident, has dashcam footage or any other information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
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