Updated ,first published
It’s just past midday – 12 hours after her son died in a high-speed crash – and a mother’s wails pierce the air on Derrimut Road.
Her 15-year-old son was killed after the stolen Skoda station wagon he was in rolled several times down the strip in Hoppers Crossing, in Melbourne’s south-west, just after midnight on Thursday.
A group of teenagers stole the car from a home in Maidstone 24 hours earlier, police say.
The boy, one of seven teens in the car, was thrown from the vehicle on impact. One 16-year-old girl broke both her legs. Police allege others fled the scene, leaving the boy, who was from the Wyndham area, to die on the road.
CCTV from a nearby business shows the car losing control at the intersection.
Police on Friday morning said a grey Skoda wagon was pursuing a Toyota sedan in what appeared to be an attempted carjacking along Derrimut Road.
“The speed of the vehicles during that was in excess of 180km/h, which is unfathomable and completely excessive,” major collision investigation unit Inspector Craig McEvoy said.
“What we believe at this point in time is the Skoda has attempted to perform a pit manoeuvre on the other vehicle, the Toyota, and in doing so, the Skoda has lost control, [and] collided into the rear of two innocent parties.
“Following that impact, the Skoda has slid, rolled and come to rest where it is.”
Police said the girl who broke both her legs had been sitting in the front passenger seat, and was taken to hospital under police guard. A third person was arrested at the scene, but “several” others ran, McEvoy said.
“[They left] the 15-year-old to die in a cowardly act.”
One boy was found on the other side of the shopping centre, while the others kept running. On Friday morning, a 14-year-old presented at the Mercy Hospital in Werribee and has since been taken into custody.
A 17-year-old boy was among those arrested and taken to hospital, while another 16-year-old girl, who was uninjured, was arrested.
As of Friday afternoon, police said two of the seven occupants of the Skoda remained on the run. It was unclear who was driving at the time of the crash, they said.
McEvoy said officers found a sword and alcohol at the scene.
While taking in the scene – the police tape, shattered glass and debris covering the road – the boy’s family said a police officer had earlier showed up on their doorstep and told them something awful had happened.
The family, who asked that the dead boy’s identity not be published, said they were yet to identify his body and still didn’t know what had led to his death.
“He was a good boy. We have no idea why this has happened,” the boy’s uncle said as he held the 15-year-old’s weeping mother.
“He didn’t even have a licence. He always goes to school. He has never been in trouble.”
Police urged the other teens involved to hand themselves in before officers catch up with them.
The three occupants of the Toyota, which was allegedly rear-ended during the incident, were uninjured. The people in the other two cars the Skoda allegedly crashed into sustained minor injuries.
“This is a shocking circumstance that could have resulted in multiple fatalities,” McEvoy said. “All occupants of this vehicle that we now know are between 14 years of age and 16 years of age.
“To run from the scene whilst you’ve got a mate who’s laying on the ground dying, it’s a coward’s act. Do the right thing now. Give that family some peace. Present yourself. Assist us with our inquiries. Do the right thing.
“This is not a PlayStation game where you can hit reset and start again. This is real lives, real situations that cannot be undone.”
Victoria Police Inspector Craig McEvoy
“This is not a PlayStation game where you can hit reset and start again. This is real lives, real situations that cannot be undone.”
Residents along Derrimut Road said this isn’t the first time they’ve encountered chaos, saying the strip is known as a popular spot for hoon drivers to test their engines.
“This happens a lot,” one woman, who asked not to be identified, said. “I’d be keen to see some kind of speed camera installed. There’s nothing here, that’s why they do it.”
She said her brother had heard the collision in the early hours and rushed out only to find a body lying on the road. “He saw them [the teens] just bolting. He heard the screams.”
Police are yet to lay any charges over the incident, but say the investigation is ongoing. The teens in custody are still being questioned.
Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dashcam or CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
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