Key Points
- Five people, including two children, died after an SUV crashed into a pub in regional Victoria.
- The driver remains in hospital for shock and non-life-threatening injuries.
- More than 200 people gathered at a vigil at Daylesford's Victoria Park.
A community volunteer who delivered food parcels to people in quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic and her family are among those killed in
Migration agent Pratibha Sharma, 44, her nine-year-old daughter Anvi and partner Jatin Chugh, 30, were sitting outside the Royal Daylesford Hotel when a BMW SUV mounted the kerb and hit patrons at about 6pm on Sunday.
The Point Cook woman volunteered with Australian Sikh Support in 2020 to help deliver food boxes to people quarantining and students facing hardship during the pandemic and is being remembered as selfless and community-oriented.
"Pratibha and her partner and daughter usually came up in the warehouse with their own car and in the warehouse, they were helping us packaging the food and sorting the boxes," Gurjit Singh from Australian Sikh Support told AAP.
Anvi would play with other children in the warehouse while her parents worked, he said.
Pratibha Sharma is remembered as a community-minded person who volunteered to help people in need. Source: AAP / Supplied/PR image
"I am proud and humble to announce that with the blessings of my family and friends today I admitted as a Lawyer in Supreme Court Of Victoria," she wrote.
"I will like to thank you everyone for this achievement ... specially my daughter ANVI who is always been the biggest motivation for me."
The emotional crowd was urged to reach out to support services if they were struggling. Source: AAP / James Ross
"Sometimes, she don't charge their services or something because of their financial hardship," Singh said. The community was supporting Pratibha's brother and parents following the crash, he said.
A 38-year-old Tarneit man, named in media outlets as Vivek Bhatia, and his 11-year-old son were also killed, while his 36-year-old wife and six-year-old son were hospitalised.
An 11-month-old boy was injured and is in stable condition at the Royal Children's Hospital. The baby's mother was not injured, but a 43-year-old Kyneton woman and a 38-year-old Cockatoo man with them were and are in Royal Melbourne Hospital.
The 66-year-old driver remains in hospital for shock and non-life-threatening injuries and is expected to be interviewed by police on Tuesday. He did not have alcohol in his system and was not known to police.
More than 200 community members gathered at a vigil at Daylesford's Victoria Park on Monday night, including Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King.
The emotional crowd was urged to reach out to support services if they were struggling.
More than 200 members of the community held a vigil for those killed or injured in the tragedy. Source: AAP / James Ross
Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King was among those paying their respects.
A counselling service has been set up at the community health centre for anyone struggling to cope with the tragedy.
Chief Commissioner Shane Patton described the crash as an "absolute tragedy" and "one of the most confronting scenes that experienced officers have been to".
"Some may never lose that scene, it may haunt them forever," he said.
