It’s believed three of the four men killed in a high-speed crash in north central Victoria were not wearing seatbelts, in what police described as a tragic but avoidable collision.
The passengers were in a Peugeot that collided with a Toyota Hilux ute at an intersection at Pine Lodge, near Shepparton, on Wednesday afternoon.
The Peugeot driver suffered serious chest injuries and was set to undergo surgery on Thursday.
The Hilux driver, a 29-year-old man from nearby Nathalia, suffered minor injuries and was said to be in a state of shock at a local hospital.
Two of the men killed were aged in their 40s but authorities are yet to identify the other two because none of the passengers were carrying identification at the time.
No next of kin had been notified of their deaths as of midday on Thursday.
Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith said the fact three passengers who had been sitting in the back seat were thrown from the car suggested they were not wearing seatbelts.
“It’s rare that people get ejected and they’re wearing their seatbelts,” Mr Goldsmith told reporters on Thursday.
The crash happened at a four-way intersection in a remote area surrounded by farmland and it’s believed no one witnessed the crash.
There is no suggestion that drugs or alcohol was a factor in the collision.
“It’s absolutely tragic but I’d like to stress that these sorts of incidents are avoidable,” Mr Goldsmith said.
“The ripple effect that it has on the community, not just the people involved in this, is absolutely enormous.
“If people just take more care on the roads, we can avoid these sort of tragedies.”
Public Transport Minister Ben Carroll said authorities would upgrade the intersection if needed.
“It’s a terrible, terrible incident that has occurred,” he told reporters in Brunswick on Thursday.
“We’ll let Victoria Police get on with their job of coming to grips with what has actually occurred at this intersection.Â
“Any detail, any information, anything we can do to make that intersection safer, we will.”
