The grief was palpable in Buxton on Wednesday as the community tried to come to grips with the unimaginable loss of five young lives.
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Three girls and two boys, aged 14 to 16 were killed when the ute in which they were travelling rolled and hit a tree about 8pm on Tuesday.
The 18-year-old driver survived with non-life-threatening injuries and was arrested after his release from hospital; he was assisting police with their enquiries.
Picton High School students Lilly Crockford, Latiya Raju and Shakira Meuleman knew the girls who died.
They were part of the steady stream of mourners, most of them teenagers, who visited the site on East Parade to pay their respects.
Brightly coloured bouquets of flowers lay under a tree, beside debris which hinted at the horror scene that had unfolded the night before.
A photograph of children, one with a halo above her head, sat nestled among the flowers, while the smell of oil and fuel still hung in the air.
Lilly said she had known one of the girls since she was little.
"She always used to look after me," she said.
"It's just so unreal, it doesn't feel real," Latiya said.
Shakira said the girls were "good girls".
"They were never naughty, they were good kids," Lilly added.
"They're beautiful girls."
Lilly's father Jamie and his partner Jasmine Blyth drove the girls to the scene.
Mr Crockford knew one of the girls himself, having known her family all his life.
Ms Blyth said they were "just devastated" about the loss of lives "way too young".
"I think everyone's still in shock," she said.
"We're still trying to process it."
But the community always pulled together, she said.
A nearby resident, Craig, did not know any of the victims but he laid flowers at the site.
He said he felt for the family and friends of the young people.
Now was not the time to point fingers, Craig said, but the incident sent a strong message for young people.
"Slow down and take it easy," he said.
The crash occurred close to where volunteer firefighters Geoffrey Keaton, 32, and Andrew O'Dwyer, 36, were killed after a tree fell on their truck on December 19, 2019, during the Black Summer bushfires.
"I'm just sick of the death around here," Craig said.
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Natalie Croxon
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
Reporter at the Illawarra Mercury, mostly covering social affairs. Previously of the Bendigo Advertiser, Northern Daily Leader and Quirindi Advocate. Our Watch award winner.
