A woman killed alongside three teenagers in a horrific car crash in country Victoria had reportedly been investigated by police over allegations of grooming a teenage girl.
Alicia Montebello, 31, was killed when her red Toyota Corolla hatchback veered out of control and smashed into a tree near Bochara in south-west Victoria on Saturday.
She died in the smash alongside local Hamilton teens Meghan Fox, 14, Joshua Elmes, 15, and Lucas Gorzali, 14.
Meghan’s sister Jorja, 17, survived the smash but remains in hospital in a serious condition.
Ms Montebello was in Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court just six weeks ago, on April 14, where she was fined $700 without conviction for wilful damage, two counts of stalking, and four counts of contravening bail.
Alicia Montebello was reportedly in Warrnambool Magistrates’ Court just six weeks ago where she was fined $700 without conviction for wilful damage, stalking and bail offences
The stalking charges are in reference to a teenage girl whose parents allege their daughter was being groomed, The Warrnambool Standard reports.
While the breach of bail charges are connected to Ms Montebello being found with two teenage girls on a Hamilton street in the early hours of April 14.
Ms Montebello had struck up a close friendship with Jorja Fox who she called her ‘best friend’ and shared a picture posing with her and her sister Meghan in March.
While the parents of Joshua Elmes have revealed since the crash that their son had snuck out of the house the previous night before he ended up in the car with the 31-year-old.
Alicia Montebello (centre) with Meghan and Jorja Fox in March
Alicia Montebello (pictured), who died with three teenagers in a horrific car crash in country Victoria over the weekend, had twice been banned from driving, including for drunk driving
In addition to the those charges, Ms Montebello also had a lengthy traffic history.
She was disqualified from driving in January 2015 after she was caught drunk in an unregistered car in South Australia.
She was banned for four months and 14 days, but in February 2016 she was banned again for driving while disqualified and given a suspended 12-day jail term.
She had previously faced other charges of speeding, driving an unregistered vehicle and driving with alcohol in her blood while on P plates, as well as drug possession charges.
The mangled wreck of the car which claimed the lives of four people near Bochara in south-west Victoria
The father of one of the teens killed in the tragic crash – on the single lane Wannon-Nigretta Falls Road at Bochara, 320km west of Melbourne – has revealed he warned his son against getting in the car with Ms Montebello.
Matthew Elmes, 46, father of Joshua, feared Ms Montebello was a dangerous driver who was feeding the youngsters’ need for quick thrills.
‘If you want an adrenaline rush, it’s probably better to go to a theme park or go skydiving, but don’t get in a car,’ said Mr Elmes.
Ms Montebello had been regularly seen driving the Corolla in the area prior to the crash and reportedly encouraged her passengers not to wear seat belts while she drove ‘erratically’.
A haunting video apparently taken inside the car was posted to Snapchat just hours before the crash and appears to show it speeding at 130km/h down a country road.
Police are yet to reveal who was behind the wheel of the car at the time of the crash, with detectives hopeful Jorja Fox can help with inquiries when she’s well enough.
Sisters Jorja (left) and Meghan Fox were involved in a shocking crash just outside of Hamilton. Meghan was killed and Jorja remains in a serious but stable condition
Teens Joshua Elmes (left) and Lucus Garzoli were both tragically killed in the crash
She shared a close bond with Ms Montebello, who posted an image of her together with the Fox sisters on March 19.
‘My best friend Jorja Fox – I love you little one,’ she posted with a heart emoji.
It is a post that has since earned an angry emoji from Jorja’s sister Kayla, who took to social media to pay tribute to her sisters on Monday.
‘Rest in peace my precious angel forever in my heart. Life isn’t gunna be the same without your goofy personality or that sweet heart,’ she wrote on Instagram.
‘You were the best little sister I could ask for. I love you so much Meghan. My heart aches so much knowing your not right behind me.’
While Kayla paid tribute to the other teens killed in the crash, her post omitted any reference to Ms Montebello.
The crash happened in Victoria’s south-west on a narrow stretch of road near Bochara
On Tuesday, the parents of Joshua, Lee-Ann and Matthew Elmes broke down in tears as they spoke to the Sunrise program and pleaded with young drivers to be careful on the roads.
‘I want the youth of Hamilton and however far this goes, please think of your loved ones when you leave the front door,’ Ms Elmes said.
‘Think of them, think of what could happen between when you leave in those hours and when you get home.’
Ms Elmes recalled the last moments she had with her son on Friday morning, before she heard him sneak out of the house.
‘I said, ‘I love you’. I said goodnight to him,’ she said.
‘The next five minutes later, I heard the door open and close and I rang him and I said, ‘Where are you going?’
‘He said, ‘I’m going for a walk, I’ll see you soon’.
‘I never heard from him again.’
It’s also been confirmed Joshua worked alongside Ms Montebello at Coles Hamilton, with a spokesperson for the supermarket saying staff have been offered counselling in the aftermath of the crash.
‘We want to express our deepest condolences to the loved ones of our team members involved in Saturday’s car crash,’ the spokesperson said.
‘Our thoughts are with our team members at Coles Hamilton who have been offered counselling at this tragic time.’
Jorja Fox (right) and Alicia Montebello in a March Facebook post tagged ‘My best friend Jorja Fox I love you little one’. It has since been branded with an angry emoji by one of Jorja’s sisters
On Sunday, Police Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir confirmed a witness saw the group’s car leaving a local waterfall park about 1am on Saturday.
The wreckage was found by a passer-by at Wannon-Nigretta Road about 9am.
Mr Weir said a crash reconstruction on the narrow strip of road where the accident occurred indicated the car was travelling well in excess of 100km/h.
‘To do that speed on that road at that time of day, any time really, is just incomprehensible to me,’ he said.
A police spokesperson said the investigation remained ongoing.
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