Police announce statewide operation as West Vic records four crashes in three days

Four collisions across western Victoria since Sunday have resulted in eight hospitalisations, including a collision between a car and a truck at Warrayure on Tuesday that claimed one life.

The spate of crashes unfolded over three days on regional roads, adding urgency to a statewide police crackdown ahead of the Christmas travel rush.

❓What happened: Victoria has already recorded 20 road deaths this month, surpassing the 2024 toll of 19.

According to the latest Transport Accident Commission data, 5,596 crashes resulting in hospitalisation were recorded between May 2024 and May 2025, up from 5,316 in the previous 12-month period.

• On Sunday, a sole occupant was injured when their vehicle was involved in a collision at Irrewillipe. 

• On Monday, a cyclist was taken to hospital after being struck by a driver in Colac.

• Two people were injured and one killed in a collision between a car and a truck at Warrayure, east of Hamilton, on Tuesday. 

• That same day, four people were hospitalised following a crash on the Western Freeway on-ramp near Creswick Road at Mount Rowan, north of Ballarat.

Victoria Police say the cluster of western Victorian crashes highlights the heightened risks on the roads this month as traffic volumes increase in the lead-up to holidays.

In response, Operation Roadwise will begin at 12:01am on Thursday and run for 15 days through to New Year’s Day, with police highly visible and enforcing across Victoria’s major roads into regional and coastal areas.

⚠️ Most dangerous month: Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir said the consequences of dangerous driving were already being felt across the state.

• “Road safety needs to be everyone’s priority, as the last place you want to end up this Christmas is in a hospital, or worse, as a result of road trauma,” Weir said, adding December was consistently the most dangerous month on Victorian roads, particularly for impaired driving.

• “December is a high-risk period on our roads, particularly for impaired driving, where we see more drink and drug drivers caught in December than any other month of the year.”

Police will conduct 24/7 alcohol and drug testing and enforce speed limits, with motorists warned they could be tested “anywhere, any time” over the festive period.

📈 High death toll: The warning comes as 282 lives have been lost on Victorian roads so far this year, slightly above the 278 recorded at the same point last year.