Road reopens after horror crash

By Monique Preston and Max Stainkamph

Jan 6, 2023

Open: Cosgrove-Lemnos Rd and Pine Lodge North Rd at Pine Lodge have reopened after a horror crash that claimed four lives on Wednesday. Photo by Rechelle Zammit

The Pine Lodge roads where a horror crash that killed four people occurred on Wednesday, January 4 have been reopened.

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Parts of Cosgrove-Lemnos Rd and Pine Lodge North Rd had been closed since the crash around 4.45pm on Wednesday while police investigated the incident.

When the News visited the site mid-morning on Friday, it had been reopened.

Five men in a Peugeot hatchback were travelling south on Pine Lodge North Rd and a 29-year-old Nathalia man was driving a Toyota HiLux ute west along Cosgrove-Lemnos Rd when the crash occurred.

Victoria Police Acting Assistant Commissioner Justin Goldsmith said it appeared the hatchback travelled into the path of the ute.

Four passengers of the hatchback died in the crash.

Police believe two men were aged in their 40s, but it was unclear if they lived in the area.

No other information is yet available about the other occupants of the car.

The driver was airlifted to Royal Melbourne Hospital where he was in a stable condition on Thursday.

The 29-year-old Nathalia driver of the ute was taken to Goulburn Valley Health, but has since been discharged from hospital.

Asst Comm Goldsmith said on Thursday the Peugeot driver was “expected to be okay“ while the driver of the ute was able to walk away from the crash.