2 Women Killed After Stopping to Help Wounded Animal on Busy Highway
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NEED TO KNOW
- Two women, both age 30, were struck and killed on an Australia highway on Sept. 4
- Police say the women had left their vehicle to help an injured animal when another car hit them at high speeds
- The driver of the car stayed and cooperated with police as one woman died at the scene and the other was airlifted to a hospital where she died shortly after
Two women were killed in Australia after stopping to help an injured animal on a highway, police say.
On Thursday, Sept. 4 just after 7:30 p.m. local time, emergency services responded to reports that “two females had been struck by a car on the Hume Freeway,” in the Melbourne suburb of Craigieburn, per a Victoria Police news release.
“It is believed the pair had stopped to assist an injured animal before they were struck,” police said.
“A 30-year-old Beveridge woman died at the scene,” the release stated, adding, “A 30-year-old Thomastown woman was airlifted to hospital but died a short time later.”
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Police said that “the driver of the vehicle remained at the scene and assisted police,” adding in the release, “The exact circumstances of the collision are being investigated,” urging anybody who might have witnessed the tragedy to get in touch.
A Victoria Police spokesperson said in an email to PEOPLE that it was “unlikely” there’d be further updates when contacted for additional information.
The highway where the accident occurred is a busy one, according to 9 News.
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Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing, Glenn Weir, said the two victims had stopped to help an injured kangaroo, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Weir told ABC Radio Melbourne, “They’ve stopped their car and they’ve got out to assist the kangaroo and another vehicle [traveling] in the same direction hasn’t seen their car, we think until the last minute, swerved to avoid the car and struck the females at relatively high speed.”
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Weir advised other motorists not to stop to help animals they might have hit, insisting, “It is inherently dangerous to get out of vehicles to try and check on injured wildlife after they’ve been hit, and that’s exactly what happened last night,” per the outlet.
“Terrible for the person driving behind them as well who struck them and other people on the freeway who saw what happened,” the officer added.
Victoria Police confirmed that 205 lives have been lost in the Australian state so far this year, compared to 193 at this time last year.
Credit to Nypost AND Peoples
