Western Highway reopens at scene 30 hours after accident
Victoria’s Western Highway has re-opened to traffic in both directions between Horsham and Dimboola following yesterday’s fatal coach collision with a rolled-over B-double trailer.
There is currently an 80km/h speed limit on the highway where the incident occurred due to sand on the road surface. “Drive with caution through the area,” VicRoads advises.
Meanwhile, the unnamed driver of the truck involved in accident at Pimpinio remains in police custody assisting with their enquiries.
“The 36-year-old Murray Bridge man was driving a B-double truck along the Western Highway when the trailers dislodged about 2am,” Victoria Police says.
He has subsequently been released “pending further inquiries”.
The Herald Sun reports police will probe the truck driver’s company seeking to understand how the trailers came free of the prime mover.
It quotes detective sergeant Chris Hays at the scene as saying: “Especially with heavy vehicles, we look into the nature of the load, condition of the truck and the chain of responsibility obligations of the trucking company and who engaged them to transport.”
Victoria Police was unable to furnish any more information on that aspect of the investigation to ATN.
Read about the initial response to the accident, here
The coach, which was carrying 45 passengers, collided into the trailers.
The coach driver died at the scene.
Two passengers were airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the remaining passengers were taken to a local hospital.
Two further passengers have since been transferred to a Melbourne hospital by air.
“A 22-year-old woman, also from Murray Bridge, who was the passenger in the truck is also in custody assisting police with their enquiries,” police say.
“The exact cause of the collision is yet to be determined and the investigation remains ongoing.”
The woman has later been charged with drug possession.
“The Murray Bridge woman has been charged with traffick a drug of dependence, possess a drug of dependence and use a drug of dependence,” the force states.
“She has been remanded in custody to appear at the Ararat Magistrates’ Court today.”