A 15-year-old boy was ejected and died at the scene, while a 16-year-old girl who was a front-seat passenger suffered broken legs when a stolen Skoda sedan hit speeds up to 180 km/h while chasing a Toyota sedan along Derrimut Road at Hoppers Crossing in Melbourne's southwest in the early hours of Friday.
The car with seven youths inside tried a manoeuvre to spin out the Toyota in what police suspect was an attempted carjacking. It lost control, hit the rear of a Ford sedan and Ford Ranger ute, before rolling into a property's front yard.
Police say 24 hours earlier the car had been stolen by a group of teenagers from a home in Maidstone. Up to two youths are on the run after the fatal crash involving the stolen car and other vehicles. Investigators believe those who fled abandoned their injured and dying companions at the crash scene.
Inspector Craig McEvoy from the major collision investigation unit appealed directly to the fugitives. Referring to all occupants of the vehicle being between 14 years of age and 16 years of age, he said the decision to flee was inexcusable. "To run from the scene whilst you've got a mate who's laying on the ground dying, it's a coward's act," McEvoy told media. "Present yourself. Assist us with our inquiries. Do the right thing."
The crash has reignited debate about Victoria's response to youth offending. Laws came into effect in Victoria on March 6 allowing children as young as 14 to be tried in adult courts for more types of violent crime, including carjackings, aggravated burglaries and machete attacks. Victorian minister Nick Staikos said his heart sank when he learned of the crash. "I know Victorians have had enough of it and it can have tragic consequences," he said.
Yet the new laws remain controversial. Placing 14-year-olds in front of adult courts and suggesting they could face life in prison for some offences is not only deeply troubling, it is likely to be ineffective, Victoria Legal Aid argues. The overwhelming evidence shows that incarcerating children increases the frequency and severity of offending. "Tough-on-crime" approaches have failed repeatedly, across jurisdictions and generations. They do not deter crime; they entrench it.
The government counters that serious consequences are necessary. Currently, in the Children's Court, 34 per cent of children and young people sentenced for aggravated home invasion or aggravated carjacking offences go to jail. Adult courts put more emphasis on community safety and victims, and sentencing outcomes show it: whenever child offenders are sentenced for a violent crime in an adult court, most go to jail.
For residents of Derrimut Road, the crash represents a persistent problem. The strip is known as a popular spot for hoon drivers to test their engines. Police have urged anyone with information about the teenagers' whereabouts to come forward.