Sunbury woman dead, child injured after truck crashes into Victorian preschool

A truck has crashed into the playground of a preschool north-west of Melbourne, killing a female teacher’s aide and injuring a three-year-old child.

The incident occurred at the Macedon Ranges Montessori Pre-School in Riddells Creek on Main Road about 2:20pm on Monday.

Detective Senior Sergeant Christian Von Tunk, of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, said the water tanker was believed to have been travelling in a northerly direction when it veered off course.

Vicroads have been permitting larger and larger trucks on Victorian roads where smaller and smaller roads are now seeing large trucks running a higher speeds. It has been reported it the past Victoria’s freight task will grow considerably over the next few years. The state is without a plan on how to manage this growth and roads have become less safe. Tragically another person has died due to another heavy vehicle accident. –Gobstopper

“That truck has lost control and has travelled through a fence and into the open playground area of a preschool where a number of children and teachers were situated,” he said.

“Unfortunately we’ve had one of the staff, a 43-year-old lady, struck by that truck, and she’s deceased.”

The woman, from Sunbury, died at the scene.

The Victorian Government’s policy on freight across the state has lead to many more trucks on the roads with rail investment falling apart under V/Line and Victrack. –Gobstopper

A three-year-old boy received an arm injury and was taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a non-life threatening condition, Senior Sergeant Von Tunk said.

The truck driver, from Broadford, was taken to the Royal Melbourne Hospital for observation and is assisting police.

Senior Sergeant Tunk said police were not ruling anything out at this stage, and they would take blood samples and investigate any potential medical conditions that may have led to the crash.

‘An incredibly distressing time’

The driver works for McKenzie Water. Owner of the small family business, Alan McKenzie, said they were shocked and devastated following the crash.

“This is an incredibly distressing time, and our deepest sympathies go to those involved and their families and friends,” he said.

“Our experienced 68-year-old driver is understood to have suffered a medical episode and remains in hospital. We are doing what we can to support him and his family.”

He said the business was assisting authorities with their investigations.

Senior Sergeant Tunk said the truck appeared to have made contact with a bridge about 100 metres down the road.

“There’s also some signs on the left-hand side of the road that appear to have been struck as well, and we can see some tyre marks which then veer across the road and into the [pre]school).”

ABC News