SYDNEY, Nov. 8 (Xinhua) -- Australian police confirmed on Wednesday that the number of lives lost on Victoria's roads has reached a 15-year high after a long weekend during which 13 people were killed by car or motorcycle crashes.
According to the latest figures by Victoria Police, the state's road accidents have claimed 251 lives to date this year, the highest level since 2008 when 256 lives were lost at the same point of the year.
The death toll also surpassed the entirety of last year's 241 lives lost.
Over the most recent long weekend, an 18-year-old man died on Friday after his car crashed into a tree. Saturday saw seven lives lost in seven separate collisions, while Sunday's Daylesford tragedy added five lives lost.
At 6:05 p.m. local time on Sunday, when a large number of patrons were enjoying themselves at the beer garden of a pub in Daylesford, a 66-year-old male drove his SUV into the outdoor dining area.
Four people, including a 38-year-old Tarneit man and his 11-year-old son, a 30-year-old Point Cook man and his partner, a 44-year-old Point Cook woman, were confirmed deceased at the scene. The 44-year-old woman's 9-year-old daughter later died in hospital.
"The fact we've also surpassed lives lost for all of last year and reached the highest number of fatalities in 15 years is just truly tragic," said Glenn Weir, assistant commissioner for road policing. ■