By BRIDGET COOK
POLICE have made a fresh appeal for witnesses to a fiery crash in Cranbourne overnight, which has left a teenage girl fighting for her life.
Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives would particularly like to talk to the occupants of a car seen driving behind the two vehicles that crashed, along the South Gippsland Highway at about 11.30pm.
Police believe that car slowed down immediately after the crash and possibly stopped at the scene, and urged them to contact Crime Stoppers even if they had already spoken to police.
Investigators have been told that a Holden Commodore and a Ford Falcon were travelling side by side in the southbound lanes of the South Gippsland Highway before the crash occurred.
Police believe that the driver of the Ford, which was travelling in the inside lane, lost control of his vehicle and hit the Commodore.
Both cars ran off the roadway, mounted the centre median strip and collided with a concrete pole, police said.
The passenger in the Ford, a 19-year-old Cranbourne woman, suffered life-threatening injuries and was flown by air ambulance to The Alfred.
An Ambulance Victoria spokeswoman said paramedics arrived within four minutes to find the woman trapped and the car on fire.
“She remained trapped for 30 minutes,” she said.
“The woman was flown to The Alfred in a critical condition with head injuries, burns to one arm, legs and back.”
The drivers of the two cars, both men, suffered minor injuries while the male passenger in the Holden suffered serious injuries. All occupants have been taken to hospital.
All involved were from the Cranbourne and Lynbrook area and aged in their late teens.
MCIU detectives are yet to piece together the exact circumstances surrounding the collision and would like to speak to anyone who may have witnessed the incident.
Anyone with any information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
