One dead, child injured in Wantirna accident after car ploughs into park on Coleman road

A person has died and two others, including a young child, are in hospital after a car veered off the road and crashed into a playground in Wantirna South, Melbourne, on Thursday afternoon in July 10.

The incident occurred around 12:20 pm AEST on Coleman Road when the vehicle lost control, struck three pedestrians, broke through a fence, and came to rest in a children’s play area.

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Victoria Police confirmed one person died at the scene. An adult was taken to The Alfred Hospital in critical condition. A child with serious injuries was transported to the Royal Children’s Hospital.

The driver of the silver hatchback was not seriously hurt but was taken to the hospital as a precaution. The cause of the crash is still being investigated.

The damaged car lodged against a park bench, which had been ripped from its concrete base. Two sections of the steel fence, intended to protect children at the Coleman Road Reserve Playground, were destroyed. Skid marks could be seen leading through the broken fence.

Emergency services, including police, paramedics, and fire crews, arrived shortly after the crash. Ambulance Victoria confirmed it treated three patients on-site.

Local residents and witnesses described the aftermath as distressing.

One person said they saw bystanders helping an elderly woman from the back of the crashed car. Another reported seeing a smashed pram on the footpath.

Gary Leech, who coaches at a nearby tennis club, said the car appeared to have driven onto the footpath and into the playground.

"There was a lot of emergency sirens and even a police helicopter overhead," he said.

Police have closed Coleman Road between Stud Road and Lewis Road. The Major Collision Investigation Unit is examining the circumstances, but officers have said the incident is not believed to be intentional.

An SES tent has been set up near the scene, and police are urging motorists to avoid the area and use alternative routes such as Boronia Road or Burwood Highway.