‘Tragic, senseless’: Children, the youngest just 10, in hospital after fatal van crash

2 months ago 13

Three children, the youngest understood to be just 10 years old, are in hospital with serious injuries after a minivan crashed head on into a tree, killing four other people.

Emergency services were called to Chapel Rd in Muckatah, about 10 kilometres south of Cobram, just before 5pm on Monday, after the van carrying nine people left the road. Four people died at the scene, with five others taken to hospital by both road and air.

Four people have been killed and five people seriously injured after a minivan rolled off a road and crashed into a tree in northern Victoria.

Police said the occupants of the white Toyota HiAce van included six adults, believed to be three males and three females, as well as the three children.

Speaking to the media at the scene on Monday evening, acting superintendent Ashley Mason said the “tragic, senseless” crash would destroy the lives of the victims’ families ahead of the holiday period.

“It’s an absolutely tragic incident,” Mason said.

Mason said the children were aged between 10 and 16 years old, and were all receiving treatment in hospital. While the exact conditions of the children are unknown, he said “all surviving occupants suffered multiple serious injuries, some critical and some life-threatening”. He said the identity of the occupants was not yet known.

“The driver, we believe was a male, has survived and has been conveyed via ambulance down to Melbourne,” Mason said. A passenger also survived.

“We’ve got four lives lost, and as we know, we’re only 10 days away from Christmas. Four senseless loss of lives, but in saying that, at this point in time, we don’t know why or how this collision has occurred. That’s going to be a focal point of the investigation by our major collision investigation unit.

“What we know is that’s four people who won’t see the 2025 Christmas, and it will have significant impacts to their loved ones, their friends, their relatives and many, many family lives will be destroyed as a result of this collision.”

It’s understood that a passing motorist who may have witnessed the crash first raised the alarm with police, prompting calls for any member of the public who may have seen the van, which was believed to be travelling south before the crash, to contact police.

“We’re appealing to any member of the public out there, any motorist who might have been in the area at the time, if you’re travelling in the vicinity of Chapel Road... please contact crime stoppers.”

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