Werribee Man Known to Police Arrested After Fatal Showgrounds Crash

One man is dead and another is fighting for life after a car mounted the kerb outside the Supanova Comic Con and Gaming event at Melbourne Showgrounds on Saturday evening, with police confirming a group of young friends were caught up in the tragedy.

Emergency services rushed to the Ascot Vale venue just after 5pm on Saturday 18th April to reports of the incident on Langs Rd.

Police said a blue Toyota Echo, believed to be a hire car, mounted the kerb before hitting a group of young men walking home from the convention. One of the pedestrians died at the scene.

A second pedestrian was rushed to hospital with life-threatening injuries. A third person was taken to hospital for trauma relating to the crash but did not suffer any physical injuries.

Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy said the three victims were all men in their 20s.

A 33-year-old man from Werribee was taken from the Toyota and arrested at the scene by an off-duty police officer.

Det Insp McEvoy said the car had travelled a further 120 metres down the footpath after hitting the young men, eventually coming to a stop near an entry into the showgrounds.

“The vehicle has travelled a significant distance along the footpath, which is extremely odd,” Det Insp McEvoy said.

“The footpath is not in the same direction he was travelling.”

Police confirmed the driver was under police guard in hospital. Det Insp McEvoy said the driver was “well-known to police”.

Footage from the scene showed a pair of black shoes lying on the footpath following the crash. Marquees from the State Emergency Service were seen set up outside the venue shortly after the incident.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are now investigating the tragedy.