Vic: Driver dies in fiery high speed crash into shops

AAP General News (Australia)
08-14-2009
Vic: Driver dies in fiery high speed crash into shops

By Jamie Duncan

MELBOURNE, Aug 14 AAP - A driver has died after a car ploughed through a row of shops
at high speed and burst into flames minutes after police terminated a pursuit with the
vehicle.

The car, a Holden Commodore, crashed through five shopfronts on Centre Road at Bentleigh,
in Melbourne's southeast, about 1.50am (AEST), Victoria Police spokesman Senior Constable
Marty Beveridge said.

A Metropolitan Fire Brigade spokeswoman said the occupant, believed to be a man, died
trapped in the flaming wreck.

Sen Const Beveridge said the car was spotted by a traffic management unit travelling
at high speed on Centre Road, near Frank Avenue in Clayton South, about 10km east of the
crash scene.

"Initial estimates are that he was travelling around 150km/h in a 60km/h zone," he told AAP.

"The traffic management unit attempted to follow for a number of seconds but he was
just travelling too quick and they terminated the pursuit."

Police in another vehicle travelling on Centre Road at Bentleigh watched as the car
left the road about five minutes after the car was first seen.

Five shops including a jeweller, two cafes and a bakery suffered structural damage
as the car crashed. Three of those shops caught fire as the car erupted in flames.

"(Emergency crews) tried to get to the occupant of the car but they couldn't because
of the fire and explosions," Sen Const Beveridge said.

MFB Commander Col Matheson said the accident scene was one of devastation.

"The scene is pretty chaotic. He's just kept bouncing off shops and bouncing off poles
until he hit a verandah and a pole.

"That was an immovable object, and the vehicle ignited.

"Three shop facades have been severely damaged by fire.

"There are live power lines on the road and pieces of debris everywhere. A phone box
has been smashed."

A number of residents living above one shop escaped without assistance, Mr Matheson said.

Firefighters searched the other buildings but found they were empty.

The fire was controlled in 25 minutes.

The crash has caused at least $400,000 damage, Mr Matheson said.

Major collisions police are investigating the cause of the crash.

Ethical standards detectives are also on the scene.

Fire crews will remain at the scene until morning.

Centre Road has been closed between Jasper Road and Bendigo Avenue, and is expected
to remain closed during the morning peak.

Engineers and council officers will examine the state of the buildings later in the day.

AAP jrd/rs

KEYWORD: SHOP UPDATE

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