Baby seriously injured in head-on crash
A mother and her baby are in a critical condition after a shocking head-on crash with an alleged drunk driver in Victoria's southwest.
There have been conflicting reports over whether the seven-month-old girl was restrained when the car slammed into a blue Holden Commodore travelling on the wrong side of road on the Hamilton Highway, at Stonehaven.
Contrary to earlier reports that the baby was on the mother's lap, police now believe the little girl was strapped in a baby capsule when the crash happened at about 6pm on Sunday night.
Acting Sergeant Darryl Out, of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, said: "The extent of injuries that the child has suffered are less significant than the mother who has suffered the most amount of injuries.
"It's not consistent that she was being held by the mother at the time of the crash."
He said a witness first on the scene also claimed the baby was restrained in a capsule on the rear seat next to her mother.
Police said the 56-year-old driver of the other car returned a positive blood alcohol reading.
The 29-year-old Reservoir mother was airlifted to The Alfred hospital with life-threatening injuries and her daughter was airlifted to the Royal Children's Hospital suffering head and chest injuries.
The driver of their car, a 29-year-old Reservoir man, sustained minor injuries, a 25-year-old man in the front seat was seriously injured and a 27-year-old Reservoir woman in the rear seat also sustained minor injuries.
All three were taken to Geelong Hospital.
The Bannockburn man driving the other car, which had no other passengers, also sustained minor injuries and was taken to Geelong Hospital.
He is assisting police with their inquiries.
It took more than two hours to free the mother and baby from the car.
Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
