Multiple Serious Incidents on Victorian Roads Amid Wet Weather

A fatal truck crash and a separate serious truck rollover occurred in Victoria on Saturday morning, amid wet weather conditions. In a distinct incident, a third collision involving a car resulted in two fatalities.

Fatal Truck Crash in Gippsland

A driver died in a single-vehicle truck crash on the Princes Freeway east of Melbourne, near Darnum. The B-double truck, carrying a mix of diesel and petrol, struck cable fencing shortly before 6:30 AM. The driver's cabin separated from the trailers and struck trees. The driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

Emergency services are managing a complex scene. The cause of the crash is under investigation.

• A large fuel spill has occurred, with fuel leaking into surrounding bushland. Authorities report no current environmental concerns.
• The Country Fire Authority noted the presence of hazardous fumes on the freeway but no threat to the community.
• A separate two-vehicle collision occurred behind the truck rollover; no injuries were reported from that incident.

The freeway between Warragul and Yarragon remains closed. Train services between Warragul and Traralgon are replaced by coaches, and some services between Traralgon and Southern Cross are cancelled.

Second Truck Rollover in Melbourne's West

A B-double truck rolled onto its side on the Western Ring Road off-ramp in Melbourne's west at approximately 7:20 AM, crashing into a metal barrier. The truck's load of chipboard sheeting fell onto the Princes Freeway below, striking a passing vehicle.

• The driver of the car, a 50-year-old woman, sustained minor injuries.
• The truck driver, a 61-year-old woman, was trapped in the cabin for a significant period before being freed by emergency services. She was transported to the Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
• Fire Rescue Victoria crews stabilized the partially suspended truck before cutting open the cabin to rescue the driver.

Multiple lanes remain closed, including all city-bound lanes of the Princes Freeway at the entrance to the West Gate Freeway and Geelong Road at Laverton North, and the ramp from the M80 Ring Road to the Princes Freeway outbound.

Cleanup of the debris is expected to take several hours. Fire Rescue Victoria Commander Andrew Morton noted this stretch of road has seen similar incidents before but declined to speculate on the cause.

Fatal Collision in Attwood

In a separate incident around 7:00 AM in Attwood, an 18-year-old driver lost control of his Mitsubishi Triton, crossing a median strip and colliding with two other vehicles. The crash resulted in the death of the driver's passenger and critical injuries to another passenger. The driver was also hospitalized.

Police stated that speed was a factor. Two other motorists were injured but not critically.

Detective Sergeant Lee Barton stated, "We're talking about five people involved in an early morning collision, so it could be a lot worse."