A five-year-old girl and an unborn baby have been killed, and two adults badly hurt, after three cars crashed in country Victoria.
The vehicles – a silver Toyota LandCruiser, a black Ford Territory and a white Toyota LandCruiser – collided at the intersection of Old Dookie and Boundary Roads in Shepparton East about 2pm Friday.
Savannah Kemp, 5, who was a passenger in the silver LandCruiser, died at the scene, while the 26-year-old woman driving that car was taken to hospital with serious injuries.
A 32-year-old pregnant woman driving the Territory was flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital with serious injuries, and police on Saturday confirmed her unborn child had died.
Savannah Kemp, 5, who was a passenger in the silver LandCruiser, died at the scene, while the 26-year-old woman driving that car was taken to hospital with serious injuries
The driver of the white LandCruiser, a 33-year-old Shepparton man, and his passenger, a 22-year-old Katandra West man, were taken to hospital for observation.
Guthrie Street Primary School, where Savannah was due to begin school next year, confirmed the news on Facebook and called for the community to rally around her family.
‘The Guthrie Street School community is saddened at the tragic passing of Savannah Kemp,’ the post read.
‘Savannah was due to start school at Guthrie St in 2024 and join her brothers. Please support the family throughout this tragic time, either via the meal train option or the GoFundMe pages.’
Locals flocked to pay tribute to the youngster.
‘Thinking of you all at this sad time, my heart breaks for you,’ one woman wrote.
‘Fly high and free with your golden wings baby girl we will miss your unending energy at basketball and that beautiful smile. Sending love to you guys RIP Savannah.’
A friend of the family, identified only as Celeste H, has launched a fundraiser to help cover funeral costs and ‘the unimaginable costs that come when a family member dies’.
As of early Sunday morning, the fundraiser has gathered nearly $25,000 for the family.
Another friend, Ellesha Ellis, created a Meal Train for the family, alerting locals the Kemp family’s ‘beautiful daughter and sister, five-year-old ‘Savvy’, Savannah, was tragically taken from them in a devastating car accident.
‘May you rest in peace beautiful girl, heaven gained an angel far too soon,’ she wrote.
The vehicles – a silver Toyota LandCruiser, a black Ford Territory and a white Toyota LandCruiser – collided at the intersection of Old Dookie and Boundary Roads in Shepparton East about 2pm Friday
A man who lives near the scene, and doesn’t want to be named, has told the Herald Sun he was making a cup of coffee when he heard the crash.
‘You normally hear a screech and a boom, but there was no screech of tyres, just a very strange noise like there (were) two accidents one after the other in quick succession,’ he said.
‘It wasn’t a bang … I thought that sounds strange.’
He ran outside and managed to free the five-year-old girl from the wreck, but she had already died from the impact.
‘Officers are working to establish the exact circumstances surrounding the collision,’ a Victoria Police spokesperson said.
‘Anyone who witnessed the incident or with dashcam is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or make a report online.’
It follows a separate fatal crash in Victoria on Friday, when a motorcycle and truck collided at Christmas Hills, east of Melbourne, about 6.20am, causing the death of the rider.
Victoria Police’s website reports the state’s death toll sop far in 2023 as being 230, compared to 198 lives lost at the same time in 2022.
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