Gumleaf
February 7th, 2010, 02:06 AM
16:45 AEST Sun Feb 7 2010
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1009134/three-people-dead-after-car-hits-pole
The five teenaged friends were a stone's throw from their western Sydney homes when their car slammed into a pole.
Two girls survived.
They had been riding in the back seat of the XR6 Ford Falcon, driven by their 19-year-old mate, a P-Plater who lost control in the wet on Sunday morning.
Two more of their friends, who were driving a Commodore behind the ill-fated car and witnessed the crash, told investigators they hadn't been drag racing.
Police believe the driver was doing the 80km/h speed limit but it was still too fast for the slippery conditions after a night of heavy rain.
The car crossed two lanes of the Great Western Highway at Colyton at about 3am (AEDT) before it ended up a crumpled mess near the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.
The bumper bar landed behind the church's fence.
"The reason why the accident has happened is no doubt the (car) has aquaplaned and lost control with the water," Superintendent Ray Filewood told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
It's not yet known if the driver had been drinking.
The front seat passenger, a 17-year-old boy, didn't stand a chance. He was killed instantly.
The driver, from Dean Park, and a 15-year-old Bidwill girl, a back-seat passenger, were taken to hospital in a critical condition but died hours later.
The two survivors, aged 16 and 17, were taken to Nepean Hospital where they had surgery to their legs.
Police said the group were on their way home after a night out and weren't far from their destination.
A 13-year-old boy, whose parents wanted to show their kids why they shouldn't speed, described the car as a "banana wrapped around the pole".
His dad, Todd Stevens, a truck driver who lives within yelling distance of the crash scene, said it was a "mangled wreck".
The latest deaths bring to five the family say they know of that have occurred on the stretch of road, which is marked by a white cross covered in flowers and pinned to a nearby tree.
"We have only lived here three years and seen so many deaths," Ms Stevens said, adding that she felt deeply sorry for the young lives lost.
Superintendent Filewood shared her sentiment.
"It's horrific," he said, adding that investigators wanted more witnesses to come forward to help piece together the final moments of these young people's lives.
"It's an accident that didn't have to happen.
"What they needed to do in this case was to slow down, and they probably would have got home safely."
If the friends from the Commodore are accurate with their recollection that their mate wasn't speeding, then the words of Supt Filewood will no doubt only compound the tragedy for three sets of grieving parents.
Anyone with information on the accident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 3333 000.
© AAP 2010
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/1009134/three-people-dead-after-car-hits-pole
The five teenaged friends were a stone's throw from their western Sydney homes when their car slammed into a pole.
Two girls survived.
They had been riding in the back seat of the XR6 Ford Falcon, driven by their 19-year-old mate, a P-Plater who lost control in the wet on Sunday morning.
Two more of their friends, who were driving a Commodore behind the ill-fated car and witnessed the crash, told investigators they hadn't been drag racing.
Police believe the driver was doing the 80km/h speed limit but it was still too fast for the slippery conditions after a night of heavy rain.
The car crossed two lanes of the Great Western Highway at Colyton at about 3am (AEDT) before it ended up a crumpled mess near the Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall.
The bumper bar landed behind the church's fence.
"The reason why the accident has happened is no doubt the (car) has aquaplaned and lost control with the water," Superintendent Ray Filewood told reporters in Sydney on Sunday.
It's not yet known if the driver had been drinking.
The front seat passenger, a 17-year-old boy, didn't stand a chance. He was killed instantly.
The driver, from Dean Park, and a 15-year-old Bidwill girl, a back-seat passenger, were taken to hospital in a critical condition but died hours later.
The two survivors, aged 16 and 17, were taken to Nepean Hospital where they had surgery to their legs.
Police said the group were on their way home after a night out and weren't far from their destination.
A 13-year-old boy, whose parents wanted to show their kids why they shouldn't speed, described the car as a "banana wrapped around the pole".
His dad, Todd Stevens, a truck driver who lives within yelling distance of the crash scene, said it was a "mangled wreck".
The latest deaths bring to five the family say they know of that have occurred on the stretch of road, which is marked by a white cross covered in flowers and pinned to a nearby tree.
"We have only lived here three years and seen so many deaths," Ms Stevens said, adding that she felt deeply sorry for the young lives lost.
Superintendent Filewood shared her sentiment.
"It's horrific," he said, adding that investigators wanted more witnesses to come forward to help piece together the final moments of these young people's lives.
"It's an accident that didn't have to happen.
"What they needed to do in this case was to slow down, and they probably would have got home safely."
If the friends from the Commodore are accurate with their recollection that their mate wasn't speeding, then the words of Supt Filewood will no doubt only compound the tragedy for three sets of grieving parents.
Anyone with information on the accident is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 3333 000.
© AAP 2010