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Could have died: Victorian womans foggy crash nightmare

A Victorian woman said she “came off very lucky” and “could have died” after she became one of 22 people requiring hospitalisation from injuries suffered in a horror spate of crashes in thick fog.

Ballarat woman Renee Warton was on her way to work a night shift on Monday afternoon when her car was hit by a truck on the Western Freeway, west of Melbourne, becoming one of many collisions in the fog between Pykes Creek and Pentland Hills.

The impact caused Ms Warton to break her nose, with images she took in the aftermath showing her bleeding profusely from her face.

“I came off very lucky considering how hard I was hit, that I only ended up with a broken nose,” she told Nine News.

“I could have died easily. It was like something out of a horror movie.”

She said cars kept speeding into the wreck because the fog left them unable to see the cars ahead of them.

“People were still just coming in hot and fast,” Ms Warton said.

Witness Erin Meehan also told Nine she was shocked at the sheer number of collisions.

“We thought it was going to be us … people were crying, it was quite horrific,” she said.

About 30 vehicles were involved in multiple crashes on the stretch of highway over the afternoon, including one pileup involving 14 vehicles.

Somehow, no one was injured in that incident.

A man remains fighting for life in Royal Melbourne Hospital more than 24 hours after he was involved in a crash, along with another man in a separate crash who was taken there in a serious condition.

More fog blanketed Melbourne and regional Victoria on Tuesday, prompting warnings from authorities.

“Upon arrival to the freeway, our crews witnessed cars not driving to the conditions (travelling too fast), and even driving without headlights,” reads a social media post from Myrniong Fire Brigade, who had to send all three of their vehicles to assist in the vehicular carnage.

“The fog yesterday was terrible, with visibility down to a few meters. We urge drivers to take care in conditions like that, and TURN YOUR HEADLIGHTS ON!!!!”

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Victoria Police likewise blamed the crashes on drivers not driving to the conditions.

“Due to the reduced visibility in the area police are urging motorists to slow down, drive to the conditions and take note of any road safety signage in the area,” a police spokesperson said.

The fog also caused havoc at Melbourne Airport on Tuesday, with 20 outbound flights and eight inbound cancelled, and others delayed.

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