Four Pacific Islander men have been identified as victims of a catastrophic crash in regional Victoria as the state's road toll soars to a 15-year high.
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Tributes are flowing on social media for Amo Filemu, Darrick Amouta Peleti, David Gasologa and Alesana Anetelea who were seasonal workers in the Mansfield area.
Mr Gasologa's fiancee Vaelei A Von Dincklage paid tribute to her partner, posting their last photo together before he left Samoa for Australia.
"I'll see you on the other side babey. I was patiently waiting for your return," she said on Facebook.
Assistant commissioner for road policing Glenn Weir told 3AW the men lived together in a sharehouse and had travelled to Macs Cove on Lake Eildon to meet with friends.
They were on their way home when the driver lost control of the vehicle on a slight bend, hitting a tree and bursting into flames on Mansfield-Woods Point Rd in Piries before 7am on November 12.
Police are investigating whether alcohol was a factor in the crash.
Later the same day two people were killed in a separate crash in central Victoria when the driver of a silver hatchback lost control and collided with a truck and a ute.
The driver of the hatchback and their passenger died at the scene with Assistant Commissioner Weir revealing they had recently arrived from Bangladesh.
He said police were investigating the cause of the crash with the location of the Midland Hwy, Goornong, not "particularly problematic".
Road toll at worst levels in 15 years
It comes as the number of lives lost on Victorian roads soared to the worst levels since 2008 prompting police to call an emergency meeting with road safety partners.
So far this year 258 people have been killed on Victorian roads compared to 212 at the same time in 2022.
Nearly two-thirds of lives lost have been on regional and rural roads, according to the Transport Accident Commission.
With six weeks left in 2023 the road toll has already surpassed the 2022 total of 240 deaths.
"We're coming into a really busy period where we know people will be out and about, Christmas functions, end of year stuff and really good weather," Assistant Commissioner Weir said.
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"Anyone who whinges about getting a ticket or getting intercepted and having a breath test well bad luck, I couldn't really care less because we are really trying to keep people safe."
He appealed to drivers to "stop and think".
"We are seeing a number of people who choose to make what they might think is a minor decision to do something they shouldn't and it's having really catastrophic impacts."
Transport for NSW reports 303 lives lost on the state's roads so far in 2023, 67 more than at the same time in 2022.
And there have been 97 fatalities on South Australia roads by November 12 already surpassing the 2022 total of 71 lives lost.
