TRAGEDY ON THE HUME: Two Melbourne women killed after stopping to help injured kangaroo on freeway
- Two women, both 30, died after being struck by a vehicle on the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn on Thursday night.
- The women, from Beveridge and Thomastown, had stopped their car to help an injured kangaroo, police say.
- Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Glenn Weir warned motorists not to help animals they may have hit, citing the inherent danger of getting out of vehicles on the freeway.
Craigieburn, Melbourne – A heart-wrenching tragedy unfolded on the Hume Freeway last night when two women, both 30, were fatally struck by a vehicle after stopping to help an injured kangaroo.
The women, from Beveridge and Thomastown, had pulled over on the freeway to assist the distressed animal when the devastating incident occurred just after 7:30 pm.
One of the women died at the scene, while the other was flown to hospital but sadly succumbed to her injuries a short time later.
“They’ve stopped their car and they’ve got out to assist the kangaroo, and another vehicle travelling in the same direction hasn’t seen their car, we think until the last minute, swerved to avoid the car and struck the females at relatively high speed,” Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir told ABC Radio Melbourne.
In a stark warning, Assistant Commissioner Weir cautioned motorists against helping animals they may have hit, highlighting the deadly risks involved in getting out of vehicles on the freeway.
“It is inherently dangerous to get out of vehicles to try and check on injured wildlife after they’ve been hit, and that’s exactly what happened last night,” he said.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the women remained at the scene and assisted police. The exact circumstances of the collision are being investigated.
Victoria Police reported that 203 people had died on the state’s roads so far this year, 11 more than at the same time last year. In a tragic week on Victoria’s roads, nine people have died in just four days, including three motorists, three motorcyclists, and three pedestrians.
Assistant Commissioner Weir expressed the difficulties police face in addressing the trauma, citing the fluctuating monthly road toll and the strain on resources.
“We want to be more visible, but we are being incredibly stretched at the moment with a whole range of resource request complexities,” he said.
Police have urged anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has footage to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.