Update 8.30pm:
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The Western Highway remains closed, with no word from VicRoads on when it will open.
Update 5.45pm:
The driver of the truck involved in this morning's fatal collision in Pimpinio remains in police custody.
The latest statement from police says a Murray Bridge man, 36, was still helping police with their inquiries, as was his passenger, a 22-year-old woman.
"The man was driving a B-double truck along the Western Highway when the trailers dislodged about 2am," a Victoria Police statement said.
"A bus which was carrying 45 passengers collided into the trailers. The driver of the bus, a 60-year-old Ferntree Gully man, died at the scene.
"Two passengers were airlifted to hospital with non-life threatening injuries and the remaining passengers were taken to a local hospital."
Police said another two passengers have been transferred to a Melbourne hospital by air.
"The exact cause of the collision is yet to be determined and the investigation remains ongoing," the statement said.
The Western Highway remains closed and diversions are in place and traffic is being diverted along the Henty Highway until further notice.
Update 4.30pm:
VicRoads has changed diversions around the incident site again following a serious collision on Blue Ribbon Road.
It is advised motorists use the Henty Highway to Waracknabeal, then use the Borung Highway.
VicRoads says this detour will add significant distance to the journey.
Update 4.15pm:
Horsham Rural City Council Mayor Mark Radford has made a statement regarding the crash.
"On behalf of the Horsham Rural City Council and our local community, I offer a few words of sincere appreciation to everybody who has assisted and is assisting with the aftermath of the awful traffic accident on the Western Highway early today," Cr Radford said.
"To the many families, directly and indirectly affected, we offer our thoughts, prayers and condolences. To the emergency service teams for their response amid challenging weather conditions, we sincerely say thank you.
"And to the many other local people who have assisted in small, but meaningful ways, your community admires and appreciates your actions."
Update 4pm:
How the crash played out
A MAN is dead and multiple people were injured in an early-morning crash involving a truck and a bus on the Western Highway at Pimpinio.
Detective Sergeant Christopher Hayes, of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, said emergency services were called to the scene about 2.10am Thursday.
He said a passenger bus crashed into a truck trailer, which had dislodged from the truck cabin and was lying across the road. He said it was unclear why the trailer dislodged and how it rolled.
Both vehicles were travelling towards Horsham. The bus driver, a Ferntree Gully man, 60, died at the scene.
The bus was carrying 45 passengers and nine required attention from paramedics. Two people were flown to Melbourne for treatment in a stable condition.
Ambulances and the Wimmera Health Care Group's bus transported patients to be treated at Horsham's Wimmera Base Hospital.
The truck driver, a Murray Bridge man, 36, and his female passenger, 22, were not injured. They are assisting police with their inquiries.
Detective Sergeant Hayes said police were investigating whether fatigue, drugs or alcohol, or other factors had contributed to the incident, and if weather conditions at the time were an influence.
He said police would work to understand what the bus driver faced - including travel times between the two vehicles, and light conditions - before the incident occurred.
Detective Sergeant Hayes said the investigation would be "extensive".
He appealed for people with information on the crash to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
The Western Highway between Horsham and Dimboola was closed for most of Thursday.
Horsham Rural City Council and Wimmera Health Care Group set up an emergency management centre at Wimmera Base Hospital to cater for passengers who had been medically cleared.
Health care group chief executive Catherine Morley had asked residents with non-urgent mental concerns to visit their doctor, but stressed the emergency department was open for urgent cases arising throughout Thursday.
UPDATE 3.15pm:
The Western Highway remains closed between Horsham and Dimboola, but diversions around the crash scene have changed following a second crash on Blue Ribbon Road at Kalkee.
VicRoads have advised that motorists should use the Henty Highway and Dimboola-Minyip Road to avoid the closures, and ask people allow extra time for their journey.
Police remain on the scene of both crashes.
UPDATE 1.15pm:
A VICTORIA Police spokesman said police could not yet reveal the identity of the bus driver.
UPDATE 12 noon:
Detective Sergeant Christopher Hayes, of the Major Collision Investigation Unit, has spoken to media at Pimpinio this morning.
He said emergency services were called to the scene about 2.10am after a passenger bus crashed into a truck trailer carrying tinned goods and cans. The trailer has dislodged from the cabin of the truck.
He said it was unclear how the trailer rolled and why it had dislodged from the cabin.
Both vehicles were travelling towards Horsham at the time.
The bus driver, a Ferntree Gully man, 60, died at the scene.
The bus was carrying 45 passengers - nine requiring attention from paramedics. Two people were flown to Melbourne. The passengers exited via windows and doors after the front of the bus suffered significant damage.
The truck driver, a Murray Bridge man, 36, and his female passenger, 22, were not injured and are assisting police with their inquiries.
Detective Sergeant Hayes said police were investigating whether fatigue, drugs or alcohol, or other factors were a contributing factor to the incident and if weather conditions at the time were an influence.
He said police would work to understand what the bus driver faced - including travel times between the two vehicles, and light conditions - before the incident occurred.
He said there were marks on the road, which investigators "would work to interpret".
"It comes down to the professional obligations of those people. While they're driving those trucks, they're at work. They're responsible for the way they conduct themselves on the road and that includes everything - the management of the load, the speed they're travelling at, the distractions they might have to encounter in the cabin ... all of that needs to be managed in a professional capacity," he said.
Detective Sergeant Hayes said the investigation would be "extensive" and police would speak to many people - including the companies responsible for the two drivers.
He said the Western Highway would likely remain closed for most of the day.
He said police would work to return personal items still on the bus to passengers, who "remain in limbo" in Horsham.
"With 45 people on the bus, with what actions the driver took when he encountered this situation... sadly it's had a horrible outcome for him. The potential for death and serious injury is enormous - I can't understate that."
He appealed for people with information to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
UPDATE 11.30am:
Police are addressing the media at the crash scene.
UPDATE 10.55am:
A VicRoads spokesman has advised drivers to only take the suggested diversions. He said drivers were getting bogged on the Minyip-Dimboola Road by creating their own diversion.
He said the road would only be opened after Victoria Police finished their investigations. He predicted this would be early to mid-afternoon.
UPDATE 10.30am:
A VICTORIA Police spokeswoman has confirmed the Major Collision Investigation Unit is on the scene.
A press conference will occur shortly.
UPDATE 10.20am:
HORSHAM Rural City Council community services and emergency manager Mandi Stewart said the emergency management centre set up at Horsham's Wimmera Base Hospital was catering for patients who had been medically cleared.
"We are supporting people at the day centre here while they await for a replacement bus," she said.
"The Red Cross are here, as are counsellors who are talking to people. The passengers are still waiting for the police to clear the scene so they can collect their luggage."
She expected the centre would be open until at least the early afternoon.
UPDATE 8.20am:
Wimmera Health Care Group chief executive Catherine Morley has encouraged people not requiring urgent, emergency treatment to seek care through their doctor today.
"Unless someone is urgently unwell, we ask that they avoid the hospital and see a GP," she said.
"In saying that, we are the only emergency department this side of Ballarat - and if anyone is seriously unwell, we will be treating them."
UPDATE 8.15am:
Paramedics treated nine people on the scene of the crash for various injuries.
An Ambulance Victoria spokesperson said a man in his 40s was treated for leg injuries and was flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition.
The spokesperson said a woman in her 60s was treated for arm injuries and is at The Alfred hospital in Melbourne in a stable condition.
The spokesperson said ambulances took another seven people, aged from teens to in their 70s, to Wimmera Base Hospital.
The spokesperson said paramedics organised buses for more than 30 other people from the coach to be taken to Horsham for assessment.
UPDATE 8am:
Wimmera Health Care Group is treating more than 40 people injured in a crash at Pimpinio this morning.
One person has died, and another two people were flown to Melbourne for treatment after a crash involving a truck and a bus.
Chief executive Catherine Morley said ambulances and the health care group's bus transported patients due to be treated in Horsham.
"Obviously, an event like this and number of people needing to come into our Accident and Emergency Department is unprecedented. In saying that, we have been extremely fortunate that the people who have been brought in have relatively minor injuries and are stable," Ms Morley said.
"It has, however, obviously been a very traumatic experience for everyone involved and we are caring for patients on all fronts."
She said extra nurses, doctors and support staff were called in to ensure those injured were looked after.
"This has been a huge team effort to ensure everyone is cared for in the best way possible. We want to thank everyone involved from the huge ambulance crew which involved every resource this side of Ararat, police and SES members on site at the scene; to the extra staff who were called in during the middle of the night to make sure we had enough people not just to medically treat people, but to transport people, feed people and make sure they are comfortable," Ms Morley said.
An emergency management centre has been set up.
"We have teamed up with Horsham Rural City Council and have set up an emergency management centre to help cater for people once they have been medically cleared," Ms Morley said.
"We are working with the cleared patients to call their families, make transport arrangements and keep them calm, warm and fed.
"We would appreciate if the privacy of the patients could be respected at this time. Patient care is our priority and all our energy is being directed into ensuring we are looking after people the best we can."
UPDATE 7.30am:
The Western Highway remains closed in both directions between Horsham and Dimboola following a serious crash overnight.
Diversions are in place. VicRoads has advised drivers to use Blue Ribbon Road and Borung Highway as an alternative - adding an extra 15 minutes to the journey.
A VicRoads statement said the highway would remain closed while investigations were completed and it was safe to do so.
"Expect the closure to be in place until early afternoon today," the statement said.
VicRoads said people could visit traffic.vicroads.vic.gov.au for the latest traffic information.
EARLIER:
THE Western Highway between Horsham and Dimboola is closed in both directions this morning after a fatal crash.
It is believed a bus carrying a number of passengers has collided with a truck near Pimpinio about 2am.
Police believe the bus crashed into the trailers of a B-double truck after they became dislodged and blocked the highway in both directions.
Emergency crews attended and treated the bus driver, who died at the scene.
At least two people have suffered serious injury and have been taken to hospital.
Detectives from the Major Collision Investigation Unit are attending the scene.
Diversions on the Western highway are in place.
More to come.
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