<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>332035</docID> <postdate>2024-10-30 08:59:06</postdate> <headline>Driver released after fatal primary school car crash</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-332036" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/20241029199437131043-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>Police are investigating a car crash that killed a boy and left four other children in hospital. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>William Ton</strong> in Melbourne</span></p> <p><strong>A community is in mourning after a car crashed through a fence killing a schoolboy and seriously injuring four other children.</strong></p> <p>A 40-year-old woman had just collected her child at Auburn South Primary School in Melbourne's east on Tuesday when the incident occurred.</p> <p>As she attempted to perform a U-turn, the car crashed through the school's fence and into a group of children sitting at a table.</p> <p>An 11-year-old boy suffered critical injuries in the crash and died on the way to hospital.</p> <p>Two 11-year-old girls, a 10-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were seriously injured and taken to hospital.</p> <p>Three of the children were taken to the Royal Children's Hospital and two to Monash Medical Centre.</p> <p>Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said she was in parliament when she heard about the tragedy and felt instantly shaken.</p> <p>"My stomach just lurched and I think any parent, we've all done the school pick-up, the school drop-off. Any parent of a of a child at a primary school yesterday felt particularly sick," she told Nine's Today show.</p> <p>"I've got a little boy in grade five and it really does bring it home about how how difficult this will be today for the school community."</p> <p>The driver of the vehicle, from Hawthorn East, was arrested and interviewed by detectives.</p> <p>However no charges were laid and she was released overnight pending further inquiries.</p> <p>The woman and child in the car were not injured.</p> <p>Detectives worked into the evening to investigate the circumstances of the crash, which Inspector Craig McEvoy said appeared to be a "tragic accident".</p> <p>"It's really tough for everybody involved, from the community, the school community, the locals, the first responders, ambulances and police," he said.</p> <p>"These events are always hard where there's there's death and serious injury, but especially difficult when there's children involved."</p> <p>The car had a green P-plate, but Insp McEvoy said he was not certain of the woman's licence status.</p> <p>Premier Jacinta Allan gave her condolences, saying the incident cast a "dark shadow", while opposition leader and local MP John Pesutto said it was a "painful shock".</p> </body>