Man dies, five injured after multi-vehicle crash closes the Hume Freeway
Updated ,first published
One man died and five other people were rushed to hospital after a multi-vehicle crash on the Hume Freeway, 150 kilometres north-east of Melbourne on Friday afternoon.
A B-double truck, which tows two semi-trailers, was involved in a collision with “numerous vehicles” near Violet Town about 1.30pm, a police spokesperson said, and the crash forced the major arterial to close in both directions.
The driver of the B-double truck, who is yet to be formally identified, died at the scene.
The driver of a second truck was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said two more adults and two children were taken by ambulance to Northeast Health Wangaratta hospital.
The Hume Freeway was closed in both directions, until north-bound lanes were re-opened about 9pm.
South-bound lanes remained closed on Saturday morning and would reopen “only when safe to do so”, a Department of Transport spokesman said.
Aerial vision from the scene shows the semi-trailer on its side in the scrub to the side of the freeway.
Witness Leslie told ABC Radio Melbourne it appeared the B-double had struck one vehicle before it allegedly crossed the median strip and fell over, possibly hitting other vehicles in the process.
“There was a lot of smoke, but when we went past, there was a lot of ambulances and fireys [firefighters] and SES and people like that helping,” she said.
“It was pretty scary, we couldn’t see how it could possibly have crossed right across the freeway without hitting anyone.”
Transport Victoria’s Chris Miller advised motorists to avoid the crash site, and said drivers heading south should take a 14-kilometre detour at Violet Town and use the Murchison-Violet Town Road through Meipoll onto the Goulburn Valley Highway. They could re-join the Hume Freeway at Seymour.
Police are investigating the circumstances of the collision.
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Angus Delaney is a reporter at The Age. Email him at angus.delaney@theage.com.au or contact him securely on Signal at angusdelaney.31Connect via email.