<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>332892</docID> <postdate>2024-11-12 10:13:21</postdate> <headline>Town in mourning after crash kills kindy teacher</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-332893" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/20241111187792174600-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="601" /></p> <caption>A woman has been killed and a child injured after a truck crashed into a small-town kindergarten. (James Ross/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Alex Mitchell</strong></span></p> <p><strong>A regional Victorian town is in mourning after an out-of-control truck ploughed into a kindergarten, leaving a staff member dead and a child in hospital.</strong></p> <p>Police remain investigating the shocking incident, where a suspected medical episode is believed to have caused the 68-year-old driver of the water tanker to veer off the road and hit the community centre.</p> <p>A 43-year-old kindergarten employee died at the scene, while a three-year-old boy was taken to the Royal Children's Hospital.</p> <p>The boy was being treated for an arm injury and ambulance officials said he was not in a life-threatening condition.</p> <p>The truck driver was also transported to hospital, and police said he was assisting them with their inquiries.</p> <p>Detective Senior Sergeant Christian Von Tunk said initial investigations led them to believe the truck lost control on a bridge about 120m from the pre-school.</p> <p>"It appears there's some contact with that bridge – we can see some debris," he said.</p> <p>"There are also some signs on the left-hand side of the road that appear to have been struck as well.</p> <p>"It's a tragic set of circumstances which actually could have been a lot worse … this is one of those close calls and I don't know how only one person has died today."</p> <p>Macedon Ranges Shire Council CEO Bernie O'Sullivan said his organisation's deepest condolences were with the impacted parties.</p> <p>"We are working closely with emergency agencies in response and to find out more information as it comes to hand," he said.</p> <p>"Our immediate priority is to support those affected and our broader communities – particularly those in Riddells Creek – however we practically can."</p> <p>The crash comes less than two weeks after 11-year-old Jack Davey was killed and four other students injured after an SUV crashed through a fence at Auburn South Primary School in Melbourne's east.</p> </body>