By Xavier Smerdon
A HOPPERS Crossing teenager is dead and two others are in a critical condition after a horrifying car crash in Werribee South last week.
In an act that has been described as “simply stupid”, seven people ranging in ages from 19 to 31 piled into a Nissan Tiida hatchback on Thursday night along with two slabs of Jim Beam alcohol.
Their night came to an abrupt end when the car they were in smashed into a tree just after 11.20pm at the intersection of White and Diggers Rd in Werribee South, killing 19-year-old Laura Hallinan.
Nick Scorsis, who was the first person at the scene of the crash, said he pulled Laura from the car before paramedics attempted to perform CPR on her.
“I was just driving home, I always drive down Diggers Rd, and I noticed there was a car parked over near the tree, and I thought that didn’t look right,” Mr Scorsis said.
“Then I noticed the skid marks on the road and I thought, OK, someone’s had a car accident here.
“I asked if everyone was OK and that’s when they started climbing out of the car and they were quite frantic. It was just amazing to see that there was bodies lying around us, it was terrible.”
A Facebook group has since been set up in honour of Laura, with more than 800 of her friends and family joining.
Star believes that her father passed away just a few years ago.
Friends had already started to lay flowers at the crash site early Friday morning.
Three of her friends told the media of how much they would miss Laura.
“We found out through Facebook, but we didn’t believe it was true,” Anita Guntang said.
“She found the good in everything, she found the happiness in everything. She made everything fun.”
The girls said they hoped their friend’s death would make people think more about how they act on the roads.
“A lot of people have given their condolences but at the same time there are people going on about how long will it take for people to learn, and you just don’t think it would happen to someone close,” Anita said.
“Hopefully it shows people, don’t be an idiot.”
A police spokesperson said that the driver, a 27-year-old man from Hoppers Crossing, had not yet been charged but the investigation was ongoing.
It was unclear whether the group had been drinking alcohol, or whether they were on their way to a party.
