Four children were among six people killed in a horror car crash that saw their vehicle erupt into a ‘large fireball’.
A 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero, carrying two adults and four kids, veered onto the other side of the Stuart Highway near a small town in Katherine, in the Northern Territory, before colliding head-on with a road train on Friday afternoon.
The six occupants of the Mitsubishi 4WD were killed, while the driver and passenger of the truck escaped with non life-threatening injuries.
NT Police Detective Senior Sergeant Brendan Lindner said it would be a ‘long process’ to identify the victims given the severity of the crash.
He said those inside the Mitsubishi didn’t stand a chance, with the car consumed by a ‘large fireball’ that took firefighters six hours to extinguish.
A 2009 Mitsubishi Pajero, carrying two adults and four kids, veered onto the other side of the Stuart Highway near a small town in Katherine, in the Northern Territory, before colliding head-on with a road train on Friday afternoon
‘The intensity of the fire, sadly meant that there were little human remains left,’ Sergeant Lindner said.
‘There was nothing that any person there could do to try and save the people, but they’re obviously going to be scarred from this.’
The victims, believed to be a family-of-six, are reportedly from the Big Rivers region, and had bought the 4WD just a week earlier.
Police are now scrambling to figure out what caused the crash that has become the deadliest collision in the Northern Territory in 16 years.
Sgt Lindner said alcohol was possibly a factor but the investigation was still in its early stages.
‘This was a confronting crash that has resulted in significant loss of life,’ Sgt Lindner said.
‘Due to the severe nature of the crash, identification of the deceased is likely to be a long process as we work to bring some closure to the families involved and to understand how the crash occurred.’
It’s expected the victims will be identified by Thursday at the earliest.
Investigators face the grim task of identifying the six victims of the Northern Territory’s deadliest road crash in more than 16 years
The six occupants of the Mitsubishi 4WD were killed, while the driver and passenger of the truck escaped with non life-threatening injuries
Police Commissioner Michael Murphy said on Monday it would be a significant investigation.
‘We understand they could be a family from the Northern Territory,’ he said on ABC Radio.
‘There’s a very complex and protracted investigation that remains underway to identify who those people are.’
Police commissioner Murphy shared his condolences and heartfelt thanks for the emergency services who were first to the scene of the devastating crash.
‘Our thoughts are with extended family and those people who responded to the incident – the police, the fire service, emergency services, St John, not only (them) but the two surviving men from the truck,’ he said.
‘Their level of heroism too, because they’ve actually attempted to do everything they could but just couldn’t, because of the fire, save life.
‘They were transported to Katherine District Hospital, treated for some minor injuries, physical injuries, but I imagine the psychological injuries will be long lasting for those (men).’
Authorities received reports of a collision between a truck and car along the Stuart Highway, approximately 12km south of Pine Creek, about 4.15pm.
‘Multiple people within the 4WD are deceased at the scene, with the recovery process commenced this morning,’ NT Police said in a statement on Saturday.
NT Police reopened the Stuart Highway on Sunday after significant delays in the area over the weekend.
Sgt Lindner urged anyone travelling in the area between 2.30pm and 4.45pm on Friday with dash-cam footage to contact police.
Anyone with information on the identity and movements of the 4WD occupants are also urged to come forward.
‘If you haven’t heard from your loved ones, please ring us on 131 444, so we can help,’ Mr Murphy said.
There have been 19 lives lost on NT roads in 2023.
Territory Expeditions tour driver Daniel Hall spotting the plume of back smoke several kilometres down the highway, prompting him to rush to the scene.
Police are now scrambling to figure out what caused the crash that has become the deadliest collision in the Northern Territory in 16 years
He told NT News that within minutes of the crash other drivers had stopped to coordinate traffic and provide first aid to the driver of the Shaw’s road train.
But no one was able to save those inside the Mitsubishi.
‘Whoever was in that car did not stand a chance at survival or being rescued in any way shape or form,’ Mr Hall said.
‘The entire car was one big ball of fire.
‘Those people, they didn’t stand a chance.’
Two people in the truck managed to escape and were treated for minor injuries at Royal Darwin Hospital.
Mr Hall said one of the survivors had ‘cuts and bruises all over him’ and a look of ‘total devastation’ in his eyes.
‘As his road train burnt … he had that look on his face that he got away with his life by the skin of his teeth,’ he said.
Source: | This article originally belongs to Dailymail.co.uk
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