Ferntree Gully Road: Man dies after being struck by falling light pole in Wheelers Hill

Georgina Noack
The Nightly
One man has died after a freak car accident on Ferntree Gully Road in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne.
One man has died after a freak car accident on Ferntree Gully Road in Wheelers Hill, Melbourne. Credit: Google Maps

A man has died in hospital after being struck by a light pole in a freak car crash in southeast Melbourne.

It is understood the 78-year-old driver crashed into a light pole on Ferntree Gully Road at Wheelers Hill at about 7.10pm on Wednesday.

Two bystanders stopped to assist the elderly man when, Victoria Police said, a second vehicle clipped the broken light pole which then fell and struck the driver and bystanders on the road.

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The 78-year-old was taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries, where he later died.

The two bystanders were treated for non-life-threatening injuries.

The driver of the second vehicle, a 27-year-old Ringwood East man, was not injured.

In an update on Friday, Victoria Police said they were investigating the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.

They called for witnesses with CCTV or dashcam footage, or information about the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

The fatality is the 121st on Victorian roads in 2024, according to the Victorian Police count; at the same time last year, 129 people had died on Victorian roads.

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