Five people have been killed and six injured after a car crashed into a pub’s outdoor dining area in Australia.
A white BMW SUV mounted the curb into the front lawn of the crowded Royal Daylesford Hotel in Daylesford, Victoria, just after 6pm on Sunday, police said.
Among the five killed were two minors.
A boy, two men in their 30s and a woman in her 40s died on the spot, said Victoria police chief commissioner Shane Patton.
A girl, reportedly a teenager, was airlifted to Alfred hospital in Melbourne where she later died on Sunday evening. The victims of the incident have not yet been named by police.
The driver of the car, a 66-year-old man, was injured in the crash and taken to hospital after he suffered shock and minor injuries, said police chief Patton.
The man remains under police guard.
“There were, in essence, two... different family groups that were known to each other who were significantly involved and impacted by this,” Mr Patton said.
The pub was filled with hundreds of patrons when the incident happened, ahead of the weekend before the Melbourne Cup Day public holiday on Tuesday.
The car had mounted a kerb and hit the patrons. Photos showed chaotic scenes in the aftermath of the crash.
Among those injured, a 35-year-old woman is said to be in a serious condition. She is being treated at the Royal Melbourne hospital’s intensive care unit.
The others who were injured included a 11-month-old baby, a six-year-old boy, a 38-year-old man and another woman in her 40s. Authorities said they are all in a stable condition.
The 11-month-old baby was flown to Ballarat Base hospital, while the six-year-old child was taken to the Royal Children’s hospital.
The man and woman were flown to Royal Melbourne hospital.
Mr Patton refuted suggestions that there was a delay in the police response as “totally incorrect”.
“The station was staffed, two police officers heard the collision and as I understand ran to the scene, it’s a matter of a couple of 100 meters or so, and they were some of the first officers on the scene,” he said.
“And they did exactly what they’re trained to do and we’re very proud.”
Several businesses in the area remained closed on Monday as community members attended the site of the accident and laid flowers on Monday.
Superintendent John Fitzpatrick called the incident “horrible” and said they are waiting to speak to the driver.
“The car crashed into an area that has been set up really post-Covid with lots of tables and chairs, not just for the Royal Hotel, there’s an ice-cream shop there as well, so there (would have been) a lot of families,” a witness told ABC Local Radio.
“And it was a really warm night, and we’ve got a long weekend... so it was pretty busy last night,” the witness said.
“It will really have shocked a lot of people, and I think we’re really only just be coming to terms with what happened today.”
