A top cop has blasted rumours about police being delayed in reaching the scene of a horror crash where five people were killed.
Emergency services were called to Royal Hotel in Daylesford, north of Melbourne, after a white BMW X5 crashed into the busy venue and struck patrons just after 6pm on Sunday, killing five people and injuring several others.
During a press conference on Monday, Victoria Police chief commissioner Shane Patton rejected reports that officers were delayed in reaching the scene or that members of the public were left banging on the door of the police station trying to get help.
“That‘s totally incorrect,” he told reporters on Monday.
“The station was staffed, two police officers heard the collision and as I understand ran to the scene, it’s a matter of a couple of 100 meters or so, and they were some of the first officers on the scene.
“And they did exactly what they’re trained to do and we’re very proud.”
The pub was filled with hundreds of patrons in the hours before the crash due to the unofficial long weekend before Tuesday’s Melbourne Cup public holiday.
The area, which also includes an ice-cream shop, was set up post-Covid with lots of tables and chairs.
Images taken at the scene on Monday show the chaos that remains, with damaged picnic tables still covered in glasses and water jugs.
Droves of community members, some tearful, attended the site of the incident to lay flowers through Monday morning.
Several businesses adjacent to the scene made...
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