A child has died and four others remain in hospital with serious injuries after a car crashed into a school in Melbourne’s inner east.
Emergency services rushed to the collision that occurred just after 2.30pm on Tuesday afternoon at Auburn South primary school in Hawthorn East.
Police confirmed on Tuesday evening that one student had died, while four were being treated for “non-life-threatening injuries”.
“One boy, aged 11 years old, was taken to hospital with critical injuries but he has since died,” police said.
Two 11-year-old girls, one 10-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were also taken to hospital with serious injuries.
In a statement, police said the female driver had been arrested and would be interviewed by officers. No charges have been laid.
Police said the 40-year-old driver had driven to the school to collect a child, who was in the car at the time of the crash. Both the driver and the child in the car were unharmed.
The incident occurred when she performed a U-turn, crashed through a fence and into a table where five children were sitting, police said.
Speaking from the school on Tuesday afternoon, Victoria police inspector Craig McEvoy said “it appears it is a tragic accident” and had been tough on ambulance workers and other first responders, as well as for the school community.
“It’s really tough. These events are always hard where there’s death and serious injury, but especially difficult when there’s children involved,” McEvoy said.
Today should've been an unremarkable sunny Tuesday for the Auburn South Primary School community. Instead, a dark shadow has been cast over our city and state.
— Jacinta Allan (@JacintaAllanMP) October 29, 2024
A parent of a student at the school told 3AW radio that her son’s friends had been injured by the car crash, describing it as “every parent’s worst nightmare”.
“They were all out there and witnessed it happened,” the parent, only identified as Lucy, told the radio station.
She said she received a text message from the school alerting parents, then began seeing police cars as she drove to pick up her son.
“You could see all the parents racing down there to make sure they were OK,” she said. “Everyone with their children was just hugging each other, just supporting each other.”
Lucy said her son was “shaken up”.
Victoria’s education minister, Ben Carroll, said he was monitoring the “terrible incident unfolding at Auburn South primary school”.
I am monitoring the terrible incident unfolding at Auburn South Primary School. I've asked @VicGovDE to be on standby to provide whatever supports are needed.
— Ben Carroll (@BenCarrollMP) October 29, 2024
I’ll be thinking of the whole school community in the days and weeks ahead.
On X, Carroll said he had asked the education department to provide the necessary support to the school community. “I’ll be thinking of the whole school community in the days and weeks ahead,” he said.
A spokesperson for the department said it was working with staff, students and parents to support them “during this deeply distressing time”.
“Our thoughts are right now with the entire Auburn South primary school community,” a statement said.
Police said the cause of the incident was being investigated.
The Victorian premier, Jacinta Allan, sent her “love and thoughts” to the students and school community.
“Today should’ve been an unremarkable sunny Tuesday for the Auburn South Primary School community. Instead, a dark shadow has been cast over our city and state,” she said in a post on X.
“I know tonight Victorians will be thinking of Auburn South Primary, and holding our kids even closer,” Allan said.
John Pesutto, the Victorian opposition leader who is also the member for Hawthorn, said on Tuesday afternoon that the incident was “heartbreaking” and would come as a “painful shock” to the school’s tight-knit community.
“My thoughts and sincerest condolences are with the local family who has lost a loved one today,” Pesutto said.
