A young man dealing with a flat tyre watched in horror as his father, who was assisting him in changing it, was struck and murdered by a passing vehicle.
On Friday morning, just before 8.30 a.m., the 55-year-old father was helping his son replace a tyre on the Princes Highway in eastern Victoria, between the towns of Flynn and Rosedale.
Another car was passing by while the two attempted to change the tyre when he hit the father, instantly killing him.
Senior Sergeant Luke Banwell of Victoria Police told the ABC that the incident would shake the community.
‘Whilst they’ve been attending to this puncture the father has been hit by another car passing beside and unfortunately he’s died,’ he said.
‘This will have ripple effects through the community, it’s the most tragic thing that can happen to a community, particularly when all the people are from that community.’
The driver of the car stopped immediately to provide assistance.
‘The driver of the vehicle is assisting us with our inquiries at the moment and is being treated for shock in hospital,’ Senior Sergeant Banwell said.
The precise details of the accident are still unknown, but police diverted traffic in the area until 12 p.m.
Detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit are looking into the matter.
Traffic was redirected westbound on the motorway heading towards Traralgon, with lanes closed in both directions.
While police and ambulance workers were on the scene, emergency services were diverting traffic.
Witnesses or those with dashcam footage of the accident have been urged to contact the police.