Disturbing footage has emerged showing a group of teenagers hanging outside a swerving stolen vehicle moments before it crashed into a tree, resulting in the death of one passenger. Conroy, 14, from Mildura, lost his life after the allegedly stolen ute slammed into a tree on the Calder Highway at Woosang, approximately 240 kilometres north-west of Melbourne, on Saturday.
Crash Details
The driver, aged 18, and another passenger, also 14, are in critical condition after being cut from the wreckage and airlifted to hospital. Police reported that the ute left the road just before 10 am while travelling along the Calder Highway.
Detective Sergeant Ashley Pendrick stated: "It took rescue workers some time to get them out of the vehicle, and yeah, it would have been really confronting for them to come across it this morning."
Stolen Vehicle and Reckless Behaviour
Police allege the ute was stolen from Mildura prior to the crash. Footage captured the vehicle swerving across two lanes while two passengers hung out of the windows, their bodies almost entirely outside the ute as friends filmed the stunt.
Family and Community Reaction
Conroy's family described him as a "beautiful young soul" who was "taken from us far too soon." One of the injured boys is in a coma with a brain bleed and broken bones, relying on a breathing tube. A family member wrote in an online fundraiser: "At this stage, it is still too early to know what the coming days will bring, and our family is holding onto hope with everything we have. These boys are deeply loved. They are kind, full of life, and have their whole futures ahead of them. Our family is devastated, frightened, and praying every moment for strength and healing."
Friends paid tribute on social media, with one mourning the loss of his "big cousin," writing: "Fly in heaven … just sad I seen it all last night." Another said: "Forever gonna miss u mah bruva, can't believe ya gone, only 14."
Investigation Ongoing
Detective Sergeant Pendrick confirmed that detectives are investigating the speed of the vehicle at the time of the crash. "There was certainly a high impact with the tree, there's no doubt about that," he said. "We look at everything. We'll look at speed, we'll look at the road condition, we will look at the manner of driving."
