Tears flow at triple fatal crash scene
A steady procession of young mourners have left flowers and tributes at the crash site where three children were killed in a high-speed smash in Melbourne's north overnight.
The trio and three others - all between the ages of 12 and 16 - were in an overloaded car when it veered off the road and slammed into a brick wall at Coolaroo just after midnight.
The driver, 16-year-old Terri Laticq from Sunbury, 14-year-old Yazmin Irfan, from Sunbury, and 12-year-old Brandon Johnson, from Preston, died at the scene.
Adam Price, 16, from Broadmeadows, was taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital with critical injuries.
A 15 year-old boy from Dallas, and a 14-year-old Lalor boy were taken to the Royal Children's Hospital in a stable condition.
Police said the maroon Toyota sedan was believed to be stolen from a Coolaroo address on Wednesday night.
As police continued their investigations, friends of the dead and injured gathered at the crash scene.
Some shed tears and consoled one another while others laid tributes at a makeshift memorial.
Siyar Bagdas, 14, broke down in tears as he struggled to make sense of the tragedy.
"Three lives are gone...they were my close mates," he said.
Shinae Brown, 14, sobbed as she described the shock and sadness of losing her best friend, Yazmin.
"She used to be at my house practically every day," she said.
"My best friend has gone and there's nothing I can do about it."
Shinae's mother first learned of the tragedy on Facebook, and had to break the news to her daughter this morning.
"She was a very bubbly gorgeous girl," she said.
"She's got a lot of friends, she's loved by many and it's devastating."
Yazmin's aunt Minnie Huseyini said told Seven News her family have been left devastated by their loss.
"It's a 14-year-old girl gone. She had practically all of her life to enjoy...she was taken too soon," she said, fighting back tears.
She said she was shocked her niece was in a stolen and overloaded car.
"I think it's out of character, I didn't believe it. Yasmin's not like this," she said. "I don't know if it was pressure, to be cool or hang around with cool people."
She has pleaded with other youngsters not to repeat the mistake.
"I hope people learn and don't make the same mistake because it can cost you your life. You want to grow up and enjoy your life. You don't want to be buried at a young age."
Neighbour Sevda said the crash happened in front of her Pascoe Vale Road house and she rushed out to help.
"When we got there, there was one boy standing around, walking around...one boy outside the car," she told Fairfax Radio.
Sevda said the car was so mangled it had almost become one piece.
"The back seat was now joined to the front seat," she said.
She said she had lived on Pascoe Vale Road about eight months and in that time had not known it to be a high-speed road.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Andrew Crisp said police were trying to establish what caused the accident.
"As to why that driver lost control, given the age of the person it could be just general inexperience travelling at speed," he told reporters earlier today.
"Who knows what was going on in the vehicle at that time, there could have been people moving around, she could have been knocked, I just don't know, it's all conjecture at this stage."
Mr Crisp said police were always shocked by such accidents.
"As police officers, whether the most junior attending these scenes or the most senior ... we take these personally, and we shake our heads when we see these sorts of situations.
"We know that some young people engage in risk-taking behaviour, it's about what we can all do as a community as family, as friends, to try and protect, discourage and support young people that might engage in this sort of activity."
Premier Ted Baillieu said the tragedy highlighted the need to talk to young people about the dangers of driving.
"As a father you just despair at moments like this and you just feel for parents," he told ABC radio.
"Any parent who's got kids at that age would be choking, I think, about this news this morning."
