DEVASTATED friends and family of four Wyndham residents killed in a horror smash near Lara last Saturday have maintained a vigil at a makeshift roadside shrine at the site of the tragedy.
Investigators are still piecing together information on how a speeding BMW came to be driving erratically on the wrong side of the Princes Highway at about 1am and then ploughed head-on into a Subaru WRX loaded with six young friends.
The driver of the BMW, Sarah Houlihan, and four of the six people in the Subaru died instantly.
One man is fighting for life while the driver of the Subaru is in The Alfred hospital in a stable condition.
Mourners returned to the scene on Sunday bearing flowers and balloons to pay tribute to the dead —young mother Casey Valetic, 24, of Hoppers Crossing, her best friend, Melissa Parry, 23, Nathan Kerr, 23, and Brad Dickson, 23 – all from Werribee.
Casey Valetic was remembered by one friend as an outgoing, strong-minded woman who wore her heart on her sleeve.
“She’s left behind her daughter Annabel and that’s a piece of her she’s left for us to treasure.”
A spokesman for the family of Ms Houlihan, 32, said she was loved and respected.
“The family wish to express their sadness at this indescribable time for all involved and ask that all are given the time they need to grieve.
“Sarah was a loving, fun, caring and happy person. She was a respected natural health practitioner — and teacher in her field— a qualified naturopath, homoeopath and nutritionist.”
Police Assistant Commissioner Jack Blayney said a number of witnesses had come forward to say they saw Ms Houlihan’s car travelling on the wrong side of the freeway.
“Obviously we’re looking for anybody that may have seen this vehicle at an earlier stage, particularly on the wrong side of the freeway, to come forward so we can piece this story together. Clearly something has drastically gone wrong here,” he said.
— With Kristian Silva
