A teenager has become the second person to die after a four-wheel-drive carrying seven people lost control and rolled in Macedon on Friday night.
Police say the vehicle was travelling on the Calder Freeway, south of Macedon Woodend Road, when it crashed just after 11pm.
Police believe the 4WD was travelling south when it lost control and rolled several times.
A Richmond man, 20, died at the scene.
A 19-year-old, also from Richmond, died on Saturday morning in The Alfred hospital after suffering serious head injuries in the crash.
Family of Joey Nguyen took to Facebook to express grief about the young man’s death.
“To my beloved nephew Joey may you rest in peace and that you are much love and miss by your family,” one post read.
“You didn’t deserve to go man…You were a great cousin RIP,” another family member wrote.
The driver, a 20-year-old Glenroy man, was taken to Western Hospital at Footscray with minor injuries.
Four passengers, aged 17 to 21, from Richmond, Ascot Vale, Chadstone and Kensington, were taken to hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are looking into the cause of the crash.
Detective Sergeant David Yeoman told 3AW on Saturday morning that road conditions were good at the time of the crash.
‘‘We understand that they were returning from a recreational activity in Bendigo and they were just on their way back to Melbourne.”
The car was totally destroyed with debris stretching 300 metres.
Crash scene investigators are yet to determine the cause.
‘‘We have been able to rule out alcohol on this occasion,” Detective Sergeant Yeoman said.
“We are still investigating the cause and it will include things like distraction or drugs or speed or fatigue; those sorts of things are routine matters for us and we’ll establish the cause in due course but at the moment it’s still under investigation.
‘‘The road was cold but I don’t know that there was any ice that was involved in this collision or not.
‘‘It was very clear and it wasn’t wet and the road condition is very very good, so we’re at a bit of a loss to find out exactly what caused this, but we will get to the bottom of it.’’
The deaths bring the state’s road toll to 160, compared with 143 this time last year.
