Vic: Community in shock after driver kills five teens

AAP General News (Australia)
02-19-2006
Vic: Community in shock after driver kills five teens

By Xavier La Canna and Shelley Markham

MILDURA, Feb 19 AAP - A close-knit Victorian community has been torn by grief and shock
after a car ploughed into a group of teenagers, killing five as they left a birthday party.

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

A 16-year-old girl was airlifted to the Royal Adelaide Hospital, while a teenage boy
was transferred to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne.

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.

He has been held in custody and is expected to appear at Mildura Magistrates' Court tomorrow.

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.

AAP sam/gfr/arb/jlw/sd

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