A three-year-old boy and his parents have died in a horrific collision with a truck near Ballarat in western Victoria. The family's car failed to stop at a stop sign and was T-boned by a B-double truck at the intersection of Mount William Road and Eurambeen-Streatham Road in Stoneleigh around 9:30am.
The boy's grandmother, the sole survivor, was trapped in the wreckage after the car rolled and landed on its passenger side. She was flown to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne with life-threatening injuries. Police say she was seated behind the driver and is now speaking to investigators.
Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy stated that the truck had right of way and that the driver, a local who sustained minor injuries, is not believed to be at fault. 'It appears that unfortunately the stop signs and the precautions haven't been followed,' he said.
The family is believed to be from the Geelong region. The next of kin of the father, 41, and mother, 31, are yet to be notified. The truck driver has cooperated with police and is with friends and family.
The scene remains cordoned off with surrounding roads blocked as police and emergency services investigate. Anyone who witnessed the crash is urged to contact Crime Stoppers. So far this year, 247 people have died on Victorian roads, six more than the same time last year.
