Mildura Trajedy

[Trough Lolly]

RIP to all who passed in the accident in cardross saturday night, I cant bare to imagine how much trauma the families and friends would be going through from such a thing... be strong.

[Buf-Phoon]

farking tragic .From what little I have seen , you have to wonder how?........the Boys in Blue are going to give the driver the absolute lot and then some.

[Paradoxx]

THE man accused of driving the car that killed six teenagers in Victoria's north-west has appeared before a magistrate in Mildura.

Thomas Graham Towle, 34, wearing a blue tee-shirt and tracksuit pants, kept his head buried in his hands for most of the brief court appearance.

Lawyer Hugh Middleton, acting on behalf of Mr Towle, said his client would not apply for bail.

Mr Towle was remanded to reappear before the court on June 26.

Charges for Towle have been updated after Josie Calvi died overnight in hospital.

Mr Towle now faces six counts of culpable driving causing death, four counts of negligently causing serious injury, one count of failing to stop at the scene of an accident and one count of failing to render assistance.

Outside the court, Mr Towle's mother Jill Wilson, said the events of Saturday night were a tragedy.

"My support goes out to you and my love for you," she said in a message to the families of the dead.

"He (Mr Towle) is a very nice quiet person. He is a loving boy. He has always been lovely.

"I don't think he would be coping too well."

A first cousin of the accused, Denzil Pryor, said since the incident the Towle family has received threatening phone calls.

"He is a family man, we have been close all our lives, I feel sorry for the kids, what happened, and their families... my heart goes out to them," Mr Pryor said.

The Mildura community has been torn by grief and shock after the tragedy.

Five of the teens died at the scene at Cardross, near Mildura in the state's north-west about 9.50pm (AEDT) Saturday, while eight of the group were injured, two critically.

But late last night, one of the critically injured - a 16-year-old girl who had been flown to Royal Adelaide Hospital - died, taking the crash toll to six.

Police named her as Josephine Calvi.

A teenage boy, who was taken to The Alfred hospital in Melbourne, remains critically ill.

Two of those killed instantly were from the same family - Shane Hirst, 16, and his sister, Abby, 17. Stevie-Lee Weight, 15, Cassandra Manners, 16, and Cory Dowling, 16, also died at the scene.

Peter Gallagher, a relative of Cory Dowling, spoke in a firm, steady voice when he read a statement on behalf of the families of the dead teens outside the Mildura Base Hospital.

"We are now aware that we have lost our beautiful children overnight," Mr Gallagher said.

"In a moment of time, our lives have been changed forever.

"No words can describe what we are and will be going through."

Mr Gallagher called for the media to respect the families' privacy.

Callum Kingston, a friend of 16-year-old Shane Hirst who was killed in the accident, said he was shocked by the news, and spoke fondly of his school mate.

"He was a short fellow who always wanted to have a good time and he will be sadly missed", Callum said.

Callum said Shane was a student at Irymple Secondary college.

Victoria police allege the driver fled the crash scene, leaving two young children - a girl, 10, and boy, four - in the damaged vehicle.

"First people on the scene would have found an absolute nightmare," acting Inspector Mick Talbot of the major collision investigation unit said.

"There would have been people and bodies lying everywhere. There would have been utter chaos and bedlam. There would have been people needing urgent treatment, people running all over the place, yelling out, screaming and crying in pain.

"It's something that nobody would want to have been confronted with - it is an absolute nightmare."

Mildura man Colin Boulton and his son were among the first on the scene.

Mr Boulton said he was driving along Myall Road with his family shortly after the accident happened.

"It was very chaotic," he told ABC radio.

"As soon as we realised something had happened I think both of us just went into (auto) pilot mode and basically tried to help the kids.

"It was a devastating scene of course."

Red Cliffs Secondary College principal John Cortese said he went straight to the hospital when he was told of the accident.

"At the hospital between 1am (AEDT) and 4am there were at least 600 people, some of them students and some parents," Mr Cortese said.

He said it was obvious from the number of people at the hospital that the accident had left many in shock.

Mr Cortese said he had been busy trying to help members of the school community cope with the news.

"I've been very busy, very busy trying to help. It's just devastating news and has shattered the community."

He said at least two teenagers killed in the accident were from Red Cliffs Secondary College.

"Two of the dead are from the school, two of those injured had just moved to our secondary college (senior) campus this year. One of the injured is also from our school.

"There were about four schools in the area that were involved, they had students either killed or injured in the accident."

Police Assistant Commissioner Noel Ashby said the accident was every parent's worst nightmare," Mr Ashby said.

"It's a message for everyone in Victoria and every driver in Victoria ... one event can kill a lot of people. Last night we saw that in Red Cliffs.

[Macktheknife]

It brings back sad memories.

Many years ago, 4 of my younger brothers mates were walking home between Riverstone and Schofields (NSW) one Saturday night. Normally they would have been with my brother as he was the only one that had a car.

A bloke on his way home from the local RSL (Very pissed) cleans them up. 3 dead instantly and the survivor spends 8 weeks in hospital. All 16-17.

One was the local Sargents son. The two towns were just torn apart.

I can only feel for them.

[GOLDIE]

Just maybe they might get serious about drink driving and the penalties that go with it now.

None of this three strikes and your out stuff like the qld goverment wants to bring in.

It only takes one time to kill somebody.

Ian

[Trough Lolly]

it was wierd today here in mildura, the whole town was just eerie, like I drive past the main senior college high school this morning and already at 8:30 thgere were 8 camera crews there with all their tripods and crap, I looked into the schoolyard to see friends holding eachother already crying at 8 in the morning.

out front of the courthouse channel 7 had a huge satellite there ald also channel 10.. there were people just everywhere and everyone all day was just different, somber...

one of the guys I work with lived only 1km from where it happened, he heard all the cops speeding past and followed to see what happened, he was greeted by the accident... he had to help out he couldnt not after what he seen.. just him describing to me gave me teary eyes and I didnt even know any of the kids. I know of 2 of the families but im not very close to them.

just goes to show how much sumthing like this can rip a little town.

I hope things cheer up for the better of everyone,I just hope the driver gets what he deserves.....

[Mondie]

  GOLDIE said:

Just maybe they might get serious about drink driving and the penalties that go with it now.

None of this three strikes and your out stuff like the qld goverment wants to bring in.

It only takes one time to kill somebody.

Ian

How do you know the guy was DUI?

[Trough Lolly]

  Mondie said:

  GOLDIE said:

Just maybe they might get serious about drink driving and the penalties that go with it now.

None of this three strikes and your out stuff like the qld goverment wants to bring in.

It only takes one time to kill somebody.

Ian

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

How do you know the guy was DUI?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

refused breatho when arrested, blood test performed 5.5 hours after the incident and shown .064BAC and positive for drugs.

[Buf-Phoon]

given the 5.5 hours before the test , he would have been pissed , probably

.15ish and stoned. Farking cretin

[ZAP]

This is a loose loose for everyone involved.

The driver left the scene with his 2 kids in the car, and he is a father of 4.

I did not read anywhere about him being DUI, but it makes sence considering the damage done, but to think he was dumb enough to drive drunk, and have his kids in the car while doing so.

I feel so sorry for the families of the kids killed and injured as well as the family of the guy who did it. They have apparently had death threats and stuff.

It is a very sad situation....