Inverloch NYE crashers take carpooling to next level

MYSTERY surrounds an incident at Inverloch in the very early hours of New Year’s Day when a car has careered through a side fence and into a front-yard swimming pool in Toorak Road, on the outskirts of town.

The car, travelling in a southerly direction towards Cape Paterson, has left the road on the left-hand side, just before Tamara Crescent, and ploughed through a side fence before sliding into the neighbour’s pool and becoming completely submerged.

The incident is believed to have happened at about 1.30am on New Year’s Day, Sunday, January 1, 2023.

The owner of the house was home asleep at the time.

The car was still in the pool, wedged as tightly as a Matchbox toy in a box, late in the day on January 1st, but completely surrounded by water. Tow truck drivers were unable to extract the car from the pool and will attempt to salvage it with heavy equipment on Monday.

According to a nearby resident, there appears to be no skid marks where the car came off the road, indicating the driver may have gone to sleep or was otherwise distracted but little more is known after the driver and any passengers in the car left the scene without providing details.

In an unconfirmed report on Facebook, posted on the Inverloch and Surrounds Noticeboard, it has been alleged that the occupants of the car escaped over neighbouring fences into Tamara Crescent.

“Devastated for my mum who has woken up this morning to some idiot who has lost control of their car and driven into her pool. Thank god they managed to get out, but they have then fled the scene,” said a family member.

“I’m so glad they must be ok, but oh my god!!

“Still no word from police on if they have found the people responsible. If anyone knows anything please let police know, especially in the Toorak Road area if anyone happens to have camera footage.”

Police reportedly contacted the owners of the car and asked them to attend to the scene, but they have since claimed the car was stolen and that they were unaware of the incident.

It has been further reported that another nearby resident jumped into the pool to check if anyone was trapped, found no one, but came out with cuts as a result of glass in the pool.

The scene, in the front yard of the Toorak Road house, where the car came to rest in the pool, is one of utter destruction of a previously idyllic swimming oasis with the level of damage to the pool structure unknown.

Police are continuing with their investigations and have urged anyone with information or surveillance and dashcam footage to contact Wonthaggi Police on 5671 4100 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000.