Energy giant BP has pulled its trucks off Victoria’s roads after three people, including a mother and her young son, were killed when a petrol tanker rolled onto a car in the state’s north-east .
The crash happened about 9.30am on the Yackandandah-Wodonga Road in Staghorn Flat, about 15 kilometres south of Wodonga, on Thursday.
It claimed the lives of a 67-year-old Yackandandah woman in one car and a woman, 33, and her four-year-old son, from Allan’s Flat, in a second vehicle, Victoria Police said.
Police believe that the petrol tanker was travelling south along the road when the trailer became detached as the vehicle went around a left hand bend.
Investigators have been told the trailer drifted across the roadway colliding with two on-coming cars.
Police said the truck driver, a 50-year-old local man, who was not injured, had been helping with their enquiries.
Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said it appeared part of the petrol tanker had rolled onto the vehicle.
“A trailer has come away from the truck – it sounds like it’s a petrol trailer – and that trailer has rolled onto a car,” he said.
Local resident Jacqui Scott said the deaths would devastate the small community, which was still coming to grips with the deaths of two young local girls who were killed in a crash near the same stretch of road in January.
“It’s generally the locals using that road, so I was concerned it might have been locals involved and have been calling around neighbours,” she said.
The Major Crash Investigations Unit arrived at the scene mid-afternoon.
A BP spokesman said the company was “deeply saddened that there have been loss of life” and had pulled ts Victorian fleet off the road as a precaution following the tragedy.
Twenty trucks were being pulled off the road and would be checked on Friday, the spokesman said.
“In addition to fully supporting external investigations being conducted by the authorities as a matter of precaution, we have today recalled all of our Victorian trucking fleet.”
He said the impact was unlikely to be felt because the recall only affected BP’s fleet, but that most fuel was carried by external transport companies including Linfox and Toll.
“We actually move most of our fuel through third parties…so because of that we’re not really expecting any significant impact on petrol supply,” he said.
It is unclear how many Melbourne petrol stations are serviced by the trucks.
The spokesman said at this stage a decision had not been made about pulling BP trucks off the road in other parts of Australia.
“At this stage we’re just looking at the immediate fleet…then we can maybe think about more later.
“We’re pulling them in and we’ll check them over and hopefully they’ll be fine. It’s best to be cautious.”
Major collision investigation unit detective inspector Bernie Rankin said police were running tests to establish the reason part of the tanker was able to come loose.
“That will all be part of a our report for the coroner,” he said, adding that all heavy vehicle operators had an obligation to maintain safe standards.
Vicroads said the Wodonga-Yackandandah Road from Kiewa Valley Highway, Baranduda to Osbornes Flat Road at Allans Flat remained closed.
Police have asked that anyone who witnessed the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
– with Beau Donelly
