Melbourne, September 5 – The Nepali community in Australia is mourning the tragic loss of two Nepalese women who died in a road accident on Melbourne’s Hume Freeway, near Craigieburn on Thursday night.
According to Victoria Police, the women had stopped their vehicle on Hume Freeway near Craigieburn at around 7:30pm to assist an injured kangaroo when another car travelling in the same direction struck them at high speed.
One of the victims, a 30-year-old woman from Beveridge, died at the scene. The second victim, a 30-year-old from Thomastown, was airlifted to hospital but passed away shortly after.
Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing, Glenn Weir, confirmed that while the women’s intentions were compassionate, stepping out of vehicles on a busy freeway is extremely dangerous. “They stopped to help the kangaroo, but another vehicle swerved at the last moment and struck them. It was a tragic and devastating event,” he said.
The driver of the vehicle involved remained at the scene and is assisting police with their investigation. Authorities have appealed to any witnesses or those with dash-cam footage to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
This tragedy comes during a deadly week on Victoria’s roads, with police reporting nine fatalities in just four days, bringing the state’s road toll to 203 so far this year—11 more than the same period last year.
