<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>332010</docID> <postdate>2024-10-29 16:30:13</postdate> <headline>Five children injured as car crashes into school fence</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-332011" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20220118001614347841-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="572" /></p> <caption>Emergency services were called to the school after a car crashed through a fence. (Luis Ascui/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Kaitlyn Offer</strong> and <strong>William Ton</strong> in Melbourne</span></p> <p>A child is fighting for life and four more are injured after a car crashed through a fence at a Melbourne primary school.</p> <p>Emergency services were called to Auburn South Primary School at Hawthorn East about 2.30pm on Tuesday.</p> <p>Police say the car was travelling along Burgess Street when it left the road and crashed through a school fence.</p> <p>One child has been taken to hospital in a critical condition and four others are in hospital with non-life-threatening injuries.</p> <p>The female driver of the vehicle has been arrested and will be interviewed by police.</p> <p>Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are headed to the scene.</p> <p>The leafy street remains closed off as officers come and go from the area of impact and Public Order Response crews are also at the scene.</p> <p>Parent Lucy told radio station 3AW her son was friends with some of the grade five students and possibly a prep student hit by the car during recess.</p> <p>"We got a text message from the school just saying that Burgess Street closed and then we... actually drove past, and I just saw one police car," she said.</p> <p>"Then we just started hearing more and more police cars go down so I just raced down there."</p> <p>Lucy said she arrived at the scene to find parents hugging their children and each other.</p> <p>"It's just every person's worst nightmare and I just hope the children are okay," she said.</p> <p>Resident Don Owen told reporters the road could be busy with traffic, particularly at the start and finish of school, and cars sometimes sped by.</p> <p>The Department of Education said in a statement it was working closely with staff, students and parents of the school to support them.</p> </body>