Town in shock after road smash

Rodimus Prime · Feb 19, 2006

A sixth teenager has died after being hit by a car as a group of young people walked along a roadside in far north-western Victoria.

Victoria Police tonight said Josephine Calvi, 16, was pronounced dead shortly after 8pm (CDT) at the Royal Adelaide Hospital.

Police said Josephine's family was with her when she died.

A 34-year-old man will appear in court tomorrow charged with culpable driving, negligently causing serious injury and failing to stop and render assistance.

Killed instantly in the crash were brother and sister, Shane Hirst, 16, and Abby, 17.

Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, Cassandra Manners, 16, and Cory Dowling, 16, also died at the scene.

One other teenager, who was critically injured, was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne.

Eight other young people were injured, two critically, when the car careered into a group of 13 partygoers at Cardross, near Mildura in the state's north-west about 9.50pm (AEDT) yesterday.

Three teenage girls and two teenage boys died at the scene.

Two of those killed were from the same family - Shane Hirst, 16, and his sister, Abby, 17.

Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, Cassandra Manners, 16, and Cory Dowling, 16, also died in the accident.

Peter Gallagher, a relative of Cory Dowling, spoke in a firm, steady voice when he read a statement on behalf of the families of the dead teens outside the Mildura Base Hospital.

"We are now aware that we have lost our beautiful children overnight," Mr Gallagher said.

"In a moment of time, our lives have been changed forever.

"No words can describe what we are and will be going through."

Mr Gallagher called for the media to respect the families' privacy.

Callum Kingston, a friend of 16-year-old Shane Hirst who was killed in the accident, said he was shocked by the news, and spoke fondly of his school mate.

"He was a short fellow who always wanted to have a good time and he will be sadly missed", Callum said.

Callum said Shane was a student at Irymple Secondary college.

Victoria police allege the driver fled the crash scene, leaving two young children - a girl, 10, and boy, four - in the damaged vehicle.

Early today, a man aged was arrested at a house in nearby Red Cliffs and questioned over the crash.

Police later charged Thomas Towle, 34, of Red Cliffs, with five counts of culpable driving, five counts of negligently causing serious injury and one count of failure to stop and render assistance.

Police said two groups of teenagers had left a birthday party and had started walking along the side of the road.

The car drove past the first group, but hit the second group.

Acting Inspector Mick Talbot of the major collision investigation unit, said it was the worst accident he had ever encountered.

"First people on the scene would have found an absolute nightmare," Insp Talbot told reporters today.

"There would have been people and bodies lying everywhere. There would have been utter chaos and bedlam. There would have been people needing urgent treatment, people running all over the place, yelling out, screaming and crying in pain.

"It's something that nobody would want to have been confronted with - it is an absolute nightmare."

Police said the 13 young people had been waiting for taxis when they were hit.

Mildura man Colin Boulton and his son were among the first on the scene.

Mr Boulton said he was driving along Myall Road with his family shortly after the accident happened.

"It was very chaotic," he told ABC radio.

"As soon as we realised something had happened I think both of us just went into (auto) pilot mode and basically tried to help the kids.

"It was a devastating scene of course."

Red Cliffs Secondary College principal John Cortese said he went straight to the hospital when he was told of the accident.

"At the hospital between 1am (AEDT) and 4am there were at least 600 people, some of them students and some parents," Mr Cortese said.

He said it was obvious from the number of people at the hospital that the accident had left many in shock.

Mr Cortese said he had been busy trying to help members of the school community cope with the news.

"I've been very busy, very busy trying to help. It's just devastating news and has shattered the community."

He said at least two teenagers killed in the accident were from Red Cliffs Secondary College.

"Two of the dead are from the school, two of those injured had just moved to our secondary college (senior) campus this year. One of the injured is also from our school.

"There were about four schools in the area that were involved, they had students either killed or injured in the accident."

Police Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby said the accident was every parent's worst nightmare," Mr Ashby said.

"It's a message for everyone in Victoria and every driver in Victoria... one event can kill a lot of people. Last night we saw that in Red Cliffs.

Police said two groups of teenagers had left a birthday party and had started walking along the side of the road.

The car drove past the first group, but hit the second group.

Acting Inspector Mick Talbot of the major collision investigation unit, said it was the worst accident he had ever encountered.

"First people on the scene would have found an absolute nightmare," Insp Talbot told reporters today.

"There would have been people and bodies lying everywhere. There would have been utter chaos and bedlam. There would have been people needing urgent treatment, people running all over the place, yelling out, screaming and crying in pain.

"It's something that nobody would want to have been confronted with - it is an absolute nightmare."

Police said the 13 young people had been waiting for taxis when they were hit.

Mildura man Colin Boulton and his son were among the first on the scene.

Mr Boulton said he was driving along Myall Road with his family shortly after the accident happened.

"It was very chaotic," he told ABC radio.

"As soon as we realised something had happened I think both of us just went into (auto) pilot mode and basically tried to help the kids.

"It was a devastating scene of course."

Red Cliffs Secondary College principal John Cortese said he went straight to the hospital when he was told of the accident.

"At the hospital between 1am (AEDT) and 4am there were at least 600 people, some of them students and some parents," Mr Cortese said.

He said it was obvious from the number of people at the hospital that the accident had left many in shock.

Mr Cortese said he had been busy trying to help members of the school community cope with the news.

"I've been very busy, very busy trying to help. It's just devastating news and has shattered the community."

He said at least two teenagers killed in the accident were from Red Cliffs Secondary College.

"Two of the dead are from the school, two of those injured had just moved to our secondary college (senior) campus this year. One of the injured is also from our school.

"There were about four schools in the area that were involved, they had students either killed or injured in the accident."

Police Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby said the accident was every parent's worst nightmare," Mr Ashby said.

"It's a message for everyone in Victoria and every driver in Victoria... one event can kill a lot of people. Last night we saw that in Red Cliffs.
Click to expand...

http://theage.com.au/news/national/town-in-shock-after-road-smash/2006/02/19/1140283942775.html

BigPrime3000 · Feb 19, 2006

That's sad and all, but that is one horribly written article.

mrhillz · Feb 20, 2006

BigPrime3000 said:

That's sad and all, but that is one horribly written article.
Click to expand...

Yeah, that really is. Repeating the same thing, and a really bad flow of story.

Enigma2K2 · Feb 20, 2006

It's the return to form... way to go man.

If Hot Rodimus can't depress the hell out of you, you have a will of iron.

Don't respond, Roddy... you know it's true...

Dr Kain · Feb 20, 2006

Agreed. I wasn't able to read past the 3rd paragraph as it made no sense.

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Town in shock after road smash

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