A family-of-three who perished when a BMW SUV slammed into patrons sitting in roadside pub’s beer garden and killed five people, has been named.
Mother Pratibha Sharma, 44, and her husband Jatin Chugh, 30, and Ms Sharma’s daughter Anvi Sharma, 9, were named online as the family who died in the horror accident on Sunday at 6.05pm.
An as-yet unnamed 38-year-old father and his son, 11. also died.
Ms Sharma, a mum and a talented lawyer, was also a domestic violence advocate and dedicated member of the Sikh Indian community, volunteering to deliver groceries to others.
Mother Pratibha Sharma (pictured: lower left), 44, and her husband Jatin Chugh (top left), 30, and Ms Sharma’s daughter Anvi Sharma, 9, were named online as the family killed when a BMW SUV slammed into pub patrons at Daylesford on Sunday
Pratibha Sharma and her husband Jatin Chugh were among the five people who died while stead at tables beside the Royal Hotel in Daylesford just after 6pm on Sunday, 110km north-west of Melbourne
Ms Sharma, who had recently graduated as a lawyer, was described as a kindhearted, noble and talented woman. She is pictured with her daughter Anvi and husband Jatin Chugh
Shell-shocked family friend Preet Singh told the Herald Sun he was struggling to process their losses.
‘It is incredibly shocking,’ he said, as he headed to her family’s Point Cook home in south-west Melbourne to be with Ms Sharma’s parents.
‘I’m short of words. I can’t really believe this, Mr Singh said.
‘Pratibha Sharma was a noble person who was doing a whole lot of great work for the community here,’ a woman posted to Facebook.
In shocking new details, investigators said the families were thrown at least 20 metres onto the road by the impact of the BMW.
On Monday Victoria Police released sad details of the tragedy including the deaths of the family – originally from Point Cook in Melbourne‘s south-west – who were on a day out for the city’s unofficial Melbourne Cup long weekend.
A second family, from Tarneit, lost a 38-year-old dad and his 11-year-old son in the tragedy. His wife, 36, and his second son, six, were injured, with the woman flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital and the boy taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital.
A third group of people – consisting of a 38-year-old Kyneton woman, a 38-year-old Cockatoo man and an 11-month-old baby boy – were also injured. The baby’s mother, 38, was not hurt.
It’s understood two of the families were holidaying together in Daylesford, Nine News reported on Monday night.
Ms Sharma (pictured right), a mum and a lawyer, was also a domestic violence advocate and dedicated member of the Sikh Indian community in Daylesford. Her daughter Anvi, 9, who also died is also pictured
The driver, 66, from Mount Macedon, will remain in hospital on Monday night and is expected to be interviewed tomorrow.
The driver appeared to have suffered a medical episode when the accident occurred.
Pictured: A graphic showing how the Daylesford car crash on Sunday unfolded
The white BMW X5 (pictured) ploughed into patrons seated in the courtyard of the historic Royal Hotel at Daylesford
Witnesses said the badly-damaged BMW remained on the scene as emergency services arrived
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton revealed earlier in the day that least two of the groups that were struck by the car likely knew each other.
‘It seems at this stage it would appear that the two groups, two family groups predominantly who know each other and they’re not from the Daylesford area we believe,’ he said.
‘But we’re not in a position to really step through that much further.’
Witnesses say the white BMW X5 was coming down a hill on Albert Street when the driver suddenly accelerated ‘like a rocket’, mounted the curb and slammed into picnic tables out the front of the pub.
The hotel was heaving with guests due to the unofficial long weekend before Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup public holiday, with families gathering near an ice cream shop set up on the lawn.
The BMW then veered towards the road, barrelled into a lamp post, and finally came to a stop at a roundabout a few metres away from the hotel, on Howe Street.
The driver did not drugs or alcohol in his system at the time, and has a full and unrestricted licence.
One woman told Daily Mail Australia the driver appeared to have had a medical episode behind the wheel.
‘Not like he was drugged but had some kind of attack,’ she explained, suggesting it could have been diabetes.
The witness said: ‘It was just an explosion. There were bodies everywhere.’
Other witnesses said the driver appeared to be struggling in his vehicle just moments before he hit the accelerator and raced down a steep hill into the beer garden.
Victoria Police says it is still investigating the exact cause of the crash.
The man was later seen being placed on a drip and was among the last to be taken away to hospital.
‘I just saw a family on the ground and I wanted to kill him,’ the woman said. ‘He’s wiped out a whole family I reckon. I saw the little boy and it just broke my heart.’
Forensic teams remain at the scene, with a fallen power pole still blocking traffic (pictured)
The out-of-control white BMW X5, driven by a a 66-year-old man from Mt Macedon, ploughed into patrons seated in the courtyard (scene pictured)
A police officer could be seen removing a pram from the scene on Monday (pictured)
On Monday, police said the victims belonged to two families that knew each other and were not locals, but visitors who were ‘just going about their everyday life… on a beautiful sunny afternoon’.
Paramedics flew four patients to Melbourne for treatment, including one child.
The child was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition.
Two adults were flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital and one adult was flown to the Alfred Hospital, all with serious injuries.
Paramedics also took two patients to Ballarat and one patient to Royal Melbourne, in serious but stable conditions.
Victoria Police confirmed the crash on social media on Sunday evening.
‘Emergency services are currently at the scene of a fatal crash in Daylesford,’ a police statement said.
The pub at the historic Royal Hotel at Daylesford will remain closed until Thursday.
Community members gathered on Monday to pay tribute to the five people who died in Daylesford on Sunday (pictured)