Chilling CCTV moments before four Melbourne teens killed in head-on crash
Chilling CCTV footage has been released showing the violent moments before a "catastrophic" head-on collision that left four teenage boys dead in Melbourne last month.
Police say the horror crash happened on September 30 at around 7.30pm when a sedan was travelling along Dohertys Road in Truganina crashed head-on with a small truck.
Four teens, including a 16-year-old driver, and passengers aged 15, 16, and 17, died at the scene. Two other males passengers, aged 15 and 17, sustained life-threatening injuries.
A 28-year-old male driver, who was the sole occupant of the truck, was taken to hospital with serious lower body injuries.
Victoria Police have now released CCTV of several vehicles and people they are looking to identify as part of the investigation into the collision in Truganina.
Investigators are looking into whether an altercation with three other cars just ten minutes earlier contributed to the tragic accident, with the Homicide Squad being called in to assist Major Collision Unit investigators.
At 7:22pm, police say "some type of altercation" occurred involving people inside three other vehicles, a red Volkswagen Golf GTI, a blue Volkswagen Golf R and a red Holden VF Commodore.
Each of the vehicles contained "a number" of men.
"Clearly they are in possession of weapons as they are attacking this silver Ford sedan," Detective Inspector Dean Thomas told reporters.
In CCTV footage, the sedan driven by the 16-year-old boy is boxed in by three cars on Derrimut Road outside Tarneit Shopping Centre.
The sedan reverses, as several people jump out of the other vehicles and run towards it in an aggressive manner.
The approaching teens appear to hit the vehicle with bats before it manages to cross to the other side of the road and speed off.
Police are investigating whether the incident is connected to the deadly crash and whether it contributed to "the way the victim's vehicle was being driven".
"This is now compounded by the circumstances leading up to the collision and Homicide and Major Collision investigators are working to establish what connection this altercation could have to the way the victim's vehicle was being driven,Detective Thomas said.
"It may be that it has no connection but we really need to speak to the occupants of those three vehicles to find out more."
They are asking for anyone who was near Derrimut Road at that time to come forward.
At the time, Assistant Commissioner of Road Policing Glenn Weir described the crash as "catastrophic".
"This collision had led to at least seven lives being irrevocably changed – four young lives have been taken far too soon, two others have been dramatically altered, and we have an innocent truck driver who will no doubt take a long time to recover from his experience," Detective Thomas said.
"I know Road Policing Command Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir described the incident as 'catastrophic' and I still believe that is an incredibly accurate word to use.
"We're hopeful that the investigation can provide some answers to each of the victims' families about why this tragic incident occurred."
with AAP
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