An 18-year-old man will appear in court after being charged with dangerous driving that resulted in death following an accident in which five high school friends died when his vehicle hit a tree in New South Wales.
Three girls, two aged 14 and one aged 15, and two boys aged 15 and 16, died in the one-vehicle accident Tuesday night.
Pupils from Picton High School were crammed into a P-plate driver-driven Nissan ute when he turned off the road and hit the tree near the village of Wollondilly Shire in Buxton around 8pm.
The impact tore the vehicle apart and all five passengers died instantly.
The driver survived and was taken to hospital in Liverpool with non-fatal injuries.
He was arrested in Bargo around 2pm on Wednesday and taken to Narellan Police Station for questioning, police said.
Police said in a statement last Wednesday that the Bargo man had been charged with five counts of unsafe driving that resulted in death by driving in a dangerous way.
On Thursday he was denied bail to appear before the Picton local court.
Earlier, the commander of the Metropolitan Accident Investigation Unit, Acting Inspector Jason Hogan, said the driver returned a negative breathalyser at the scene.
He described the scene as “extremely difficult” for the people who called the triple zero, as well as first responders, some of whom lived in the community and knew the victims.
“It must be extremely traumatic for family, friends, first responders and the local community to have five young lives lost under such circumstances,” he said.
Police family liaison officers were offering support to the families, and the road injury support group would also provide advice.
Police are investigating how six people travel in the vehicle, which has been registered as four seats.
Murat Dizdar, Deputy Secretary of the Department of Education, said the school community was “deeply touched by this tragic news”.
“It is an extremely distressing and disturbing day for the entire education family,” he said.
Picton High had two separate advisory groups, one dedicated to staff and the other to support the 1,100 students. The victims were 9 and 11 years old.
“The department will provide this support to the school community for as long as needed,” Dizdar said.
Camden Chief Superintendent of Police Paul Fuller, who has been on duty for 38 years, described the crash site as “one of the worst crash scenes I’ve ever seen.”
Upset teenagers wearing school uniforms laid flowers and postcards at the crash site on Wednesday.
Prime Minister Dominic Perrottet also expressed his condolences, saying “Our thoughts are with them in this difficult time”.
On Wednesday he visited Picton High School teachers to lend his support to the distraught community.
Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould said the Buxton community was waking up from shock and pain.
“The loss of so many young lives is simply devastating and you cannot put into words the crushing loss that many in our community feel,” he posted on Facebook.
“Our hearts go out to the communities of Picton High and Buxton and especially to the family and friends of those involved, as well as to the rescuers who have faced such a harrowing scene.
“There are so many people in the county who are suffering today, so we have to be there to support each other and take care of each other.”
Investigators are appealing to anyone with dash cam footage or information to contact them.