A P plate driver who crashed their car after aquaplaning on the Princes Freeway at Darnum yesterday had three passengers in their car, including one not wearing a seatbelt.
PLEASE NOTE: This article has been updated (27 October, 10.36pm) with revised information from police. Police previously reported two passengers were not wearing seatbelts.
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Warragul Police First Constable Craig Chapman told The Warragul Citizen the car left the freeway after hitting a puddle and rolled three times down the embankment of the freeway median strip.
Constable Chapman said the driver and a front seat passenger had seatbelts on at the time of the crash, but one back seat passenger did not and was ejected from the car as it rolled.
A second back seat passenger who was wearing a seatbelt was partially ejected from the car.
One of the back seat passengers was airlifted to The Alfred hospital in a serious but stable condition.
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The driver and the other back seat passenger were taken to the Dandenong Hospital by road ambulance.
The front seat passenger received minor injuries and was taken to Latrobe Regional Hospital.
Constable Chapman said the crash was caused by aquaplaning and inexperience, and speed and alcohol were not factors.
Police advise drivers to slow down in wet conditions, to drive according to conditions and experience levels and to be careful of large puddles.
The freeway was closed to eastbound traffic at Darnum while emergency services were at the scene.
I wonder if this would have happened if VicRoads hadn’r removed all the trees?
It probably would have been a fatal collision if they hadn’t. They would have left the road and gone straight into a tree.