Death toll on early rise across Australia as holiday road blitz beckons
It was a horror Saturday night on roads across Australia after three people and a baby were killed in car crashes.
Police only Operation Safe Arrival on Friday as a warning to encourage drivers to slow down during the Christmas season.
Three people were killed in a car crash in Bundaberg, Queensland, after their Subaru sedan left the road and smashed into multiple trees.
Firefighters had to dismantle the mangled wreckage, before paramedics could reach the occupants just after 7pm Saturday.
They all died at the scene.
In Victoria a one-year-old girl was killed in a head-on crash on Phillip Island when the car she were travelling in collided with a Mercedes.
The baby was airlifted to hospital, but died a short time later.
A man, woman and another child in the same car were taken to hospital with minor injuries.
The 24-year-old driver of the Mercedes is under police guard in hospital.
Traffic and Highway patrol are putting more than 1000 police on the state's roads over this safe arrival period, which includes 500 police cars looking to stamp out speeding and drink driving.
Warnings against drink driving are being echoed just days after two men were killed when they decided to take a heavily-modified Subaru for a spin after spending the day drinking on a mate’s boat in WA.
Bradley Jessup, 29, and Scott Beinke, 46 died and it was the last minute drunken decision to not get into Mr Jessup's car that saved the life of Ben Paull.
“I opened the car door and went to get in but before I could sit down, I just closed the door again and went and talked to Scott in the front,” Mr Paull told The Weekend West.
“I told them not to go… I’m just thanking my lucky stars I didn’t.”
Traffic and Highway patrol Command Assistant Commisioner Michael Corboy told 7 News drivers should "avoid alcohol altogether".
