Two dead in Ferntree Gully crash

A man is under police guard in hospital, after his car hit a pole in Melbourne’s outer east on Saturday night, killing two passengers.

The crash occurred on Oaklands Avenue in Ferntree Gully just before 6pm, and the two passengers died at the scene. The bodies are yet to be formally identified.

The circumstances surrounding the crash are yet to be established and the investigation remains ongoing, police said, urging witnesses and those with footage to contact them via Crime Stoppers.

There have now been 16 lives lost on Victoria’s roads since the beginning of 2026.

It follows a turbulent day on Melbourne’s roads.

About 10am, an allegedly stolen Mazda hit a Mercedes-Benz on the Monash Freeway at Endeavour Hills, leaving the female driver of the Mercedes in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.

Up to eight teenage boys fled the stolen car, with one of them – a 15-year-old – arrested by police after a citizens arrest. That teen is being interviewed by police, while the other seven remain on the run after fleeing into nearby bushland.

As police responded to that crash, they noticed a Nissan in the Monash Freeway’s emergency lane. The car sped off as they attempted to intercept it, eventually colliding with six cars before the driver and passenger got out and fled on foot.

Be the first to know when major news happens. Sign up for our breaking news alerts on email or turn on notifications in the app.