Two Women Killed in Melbourne Crash While Trying to Help Injured Kangaroo

MELBOURNE: Two women were killed after being struck by a vehicle while attempting to assist an injured kangaroo on the Hume Freeway in Craigieburn, a northern suburb of Melbourne, on Wednesday evening (Sept 4).

According to Australian media reports, the women stopped their car at around 7.30pm to help the animal when they were hit.

A 30-year-old woman from Beveridge, Victoria, died at the scene, while another 30-year-old woman from Melbourne’s Thomastown suburb was airlifted to hospital but later succumbed to her injuries. Their identities have not yet been released.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Glenn Weir told ABC News that investigators believe the driver of the oncoming vehicle did not notice the women’s car until the last moment and swerved to avoid it, striking the women at “relatively high speed.”

Weir expressed sympathy but cautioned motorists against stopping on freeways to assist animals, describing it as “inherently dangerous.”

The driver involved remained at the scene and is cooperating with police. Investigations into the incident are ongoing.

According to Victoria Police, 203 people have died on the state’s roads so far in 2025, 11 more than during the same period last year. In the past four days alone, nine road fatalities have been recorded, including three pedestrians, three motorcyclists, and three vehicle occupants.