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Topic:Road Accidents and Incidents
Emergency services were called to the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn just after 7.30pm. (ABC News)
Two women died after being struck by a vehicle on the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn on Thursday night.
The women, both aged 30, were from Beveridge and Thomastown.
Police say the women had stopped on the freeway to help an injured animal.
Police say two women who were fatally struck by a vehicle on the Hume Freeway, in Melbourne's north, last night had stopped to help an injured animal.
The women were hit on the freeway at Craigieburn just after 7:30pm.
One of the women, a 30-year-old from Beveridge, died at the scene.
The second woman, a 30-year-old from Thomastown, was flown to hospital but died a short time later.
Assistant Commissioner for Road Policing Glenn Weir said the women had stopped on the freeway to help an injured kangaroo.
"They've stopped their car and they've got out to assist the kangaroo and another vehicle travelling in the same direction hasn't seen their car, we think until the last minute, swerved to avoid the car and struck the females at relatively high speed," he told ABC Radio Melbourne.
One of the women was flown to hospital but died a short time later. (ABC News)
Assistant Commissioner Weir said he understood why the women stopped, but he advised motorists not to help animals they may have hit.
"It is inherently dangerous to get out of vehicles to try and check on injured wildlife after they've been hit, and that's exactly what happened last night," he said.
"Terrible for the person driving behind them as well who struck them and other people on the freeway who saw what happened.
The driver of the vehicle that struck the women remained at the scene and assisted police.
The exact circumstances of the collision are being investigated.
Police have asked anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has footage to contact CrimeStoppers on 1800 333 000.
The accident happened on a stretch of the Hume Freeway at Craigieburn. (ABC News)
Victoria Police said 203 people had died on the state's roads so far this year, which is 11 more than at the same time last year.
Assistant Commissioner Weir said nine people had died in just four days on the state's roads, including three motorists, three motorcyclists and three pedestrians.
He said the monthly road toll had fluctuated this year.
"We've had four months this year well under average, four months well over average and the commonality is that there really is no commonality," he said.
Victoria Police says nine people have died on the state's roads in four days this week. (AAP: James Ross)
He said police resources had been tested, leaving fewer officers free for things such as random highway patrols.
"We want to be more visible but we are being incredibly stretched at the moment with a whole range of resource request complexities."
"Last weekend's protest took an incredible amount of policing and that's discretionary patrolling that we would normally be doing things like patrolling on the roads to keep people safe."
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