Three die on Victorian roads

Three people have been killed in the space of 15 minutes on Victorian roads.
An elderly couple died in a collision in northern Victoria shortly after 3pm (AEDT)
on Thursday, minutes before one person died after the truck they were driving burst
into flames when it struck a pylon on a Melbourne freeway.
Police believe the northbound truck veered across two lanes and hit the pylon in the
median strip on the Eastlink Freeway in Rowville.
Intensive care paramedic Gary Robertson said an ambulance crew arrived to find the
truck completely ablaze.
"It appeared the semi-trailer had lost control, careering through the safety
barriers on the median strip before crashing into a pylon about 400 metres down the
road," Mr Robertson said in a statement.
"The truck has burst into flames and unfortunately one person has been found dead in
the cabin.
"We treated a woman on scene for smoke inhalation.
"It appears the truck was carrying a load of wine."
The freeway was expected to be closed in both directions for most of Thursday evening.
The elderly couple were pronounced dead at the scene after crashing into another car
about 6km north of Swan Hill on the Murray Valley Highway.
A 19-year-old woman in the other car suffered minor injuries and has been taken to
hospital, an Ambulance Victoria spokesman said.
The deaths take the road toll to 44, the same as it was at this time last year