A Buchan man has died following Wednesday’s horrific Norlane crash which ripped a car in half.
Police have blamed “excessive” speed for the crash, with witnesses reporting the car could have been travelling up to 150km/h.
Alcohol and drugs could also be a factor, with police awaiting blood test results from the injured Norlane driver.
Geelong Highway Patrol Acting Sergeant David Ramm described Wednesday’s crash as the worst he had seen.
“The car’s basically been ripped in half,” he told the Indy yesterday.
“I’ve done this for nearly 10 years and this is the most devastation I’ve seen in a crash.”
The driver was travelling “an excessive amount above” the 80km/h speed limit on Princes Highway, Norlane, when he lost control at 4.40pm on Wednesday, Sgt Ramm said.
The blue sedan veered off the road and slammed into two trees near a BP service station.
An ambulance helicopter airlifted the passenger, a Buchan man aged 42, to Royal Melbourne Hospital on Wednesday afternoon.
Geelong Indy understands he was clinically dead at the scene before paramedics revived him.
The man remained in a critical condition on life support at the hospital until he died this morning.
An ambulance took the driver, a 44-year-old Norlane man, to University Hospital Geelong with serious injuries.
“He wasn’t as bad as the passenger,” Sgt Ramm said.
“The first impact was on the passenger side.”
Paramedics later transferred the man to The Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a stable condition, a Barwon Health spokesperson said.
The horror smash could have been worse if the car missed the trees and collided with the service station instead, Sgt Ramm said.
“He could have wiped out half of the service station. He would have taken out the first two bowsers and probably half the shop if he did that.”
Police reopened the road at 5am Thursday after diverting traffic away from the scene on Wednesday.
Victoria Police’s Major Collision Investigation Unit is investigating the crash.
Police urged anyone with information or dashcam footage to phone Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or visit crimestoppersvic.com.au.
The crash brought Victoria’s road toll to 114, compared to 138 the same time last year.
