Daylesford car crash: ‘Multiple killed’ as vehicle ploughs into Royal Hotel’s busy pub beer garden – and a fleet of medical helicopters rush to the scene

An out-of-control car has slammed into a pub’s busy beer garden, killing at least three people and seriously injuring several others.

The white BMW X5 ploughed into patrons seated in the courtyard of the historic Royal Hotel at Daylesford, north west of Melbourne at 6.05pm on Sunday.

Children, including a three-year-old toddler, are feared to be among those hit by the late model SUV when it smashed into drinkers and diners.

‘There were bodies everywhere, it was horrifying,’ said one female witness. ‘I watched the whole crash. The car went up into the sky. 

‘I thought it was just dust. It’s only now I know it was bodies.’

Seven people seriously injured in the crash had to be rushed to hospitals from Melbourne to Ballarat, including four by helicopter. It is not known if the driver is among them.

The pub is understood to have been busy all weekend and the courtyard – overlooking the town’s roundabout – is said to have been ‘packed’ at the time. 

A woman from a business next to the Royal Daylesford said she and her staff were all ‘shaken up’ after seeing some of the bodies on the pavement.

‘We’re all pretty shocked,’ she said. ‘It’s pretty bad, I’ve never seen anything so traumatic in my life.’

An out-of-control car has slammed into a pub’s busy beer garden, killing at least three people and seriously injuring several others. Pictured: Emergency services on the scene

The white BMW X5 (pictured) ploughed into patrons seated in the courtyard of the historic Royal Hotel at Daylesford, north west of Melbourne at 6.05pm on Sunday

One witness said she saw the car go ‘up in the sky’ and thought she saw a cloud of dust explode – butt now realises it was ‘bodies’

A woman from a business next to the Royal Daylesford said she and her staff were all ‘shaken up’ after seeing some of the bodies on the pavement

Victoria Police confirmed three people were killed in the horror accident, which happened on Vincent Street, Daylesford, 100km north-west of Melbourne.

Four rescue helicopters were dispatched to collect the seriously injured victims. Dozens of police and multiple ambulances crews also rushed to the scene. 

An eye witness reported that the driver of the vehicle remained seated inside his car for up to 10 minutes without moving after the crash.

A man from nearby Sailor’s Falls, just south of Daylesford, said ‘many sirens and emergency vehicles were screaming through’ town at before 7pm on a local community Facebook page.

The proprietor of a pizza restaurant near the hotel rushed outside when she heard a ‘loud bang’.

‘There was some kind of collision in the roundabout, I don’t know how many cars were involved,’ the restaurant owner, Kitty Martin told the Herald Sun.

‘The car looked pretty bad. It looks like it has hit something pretty hard. Apparently it went through a pole.’

One person said the pub was bustling on Sunday.

‘The Royal was packed with patrons outside all weekend,’ she wrote on social media.

Another said The Royal Hotel was one of the region’s most popular venues. A worker at a nearby restaurant said the car involved was ‘messed up’.

‘There are a lot of people outside,’ she said.

Eye witnesses said the badly-damaged vehicle remained on the scene as emergency services arrived and frantically rushed to the aid of the injured patrons.

Paramedics flew four patients to Melbourne for treatment, including one child.

The child was flown to the Royal Children’s Hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Two adults were flown to Royal Melbourne Hospital and one adult was flown to the Alfred Hospital, all with serious injuries.

Paramedics have also taken two patients to Ballarat and one patient to Royal Melbourne, in serious but stable conditions.

Victoria Police confirmed the crash on social media on Sunday evening.

‘Emergency services are currently at the scene of a fatal crash in Daylesford,’ a police statement said.

The pub is understood to have been busy all weekend and the courtyard – overlooking the town’s roundabout – is said to have been ‘packed’ at the time 

Four rescue helicopters were dispatched to collect the seriously injured victims. Dozens of police and multiple ambulances crews also rushed to the scene 

An eye witness reported the driver of the vehicle remained seated inside his car for up to 10 minutes without moving after the crash at the Royal Hotel (pictured) at Daylesford

‘Police have been to [the scene of an accident where] a car crashed into the beer garden of a pub on Vincent Street about 6.05pm.

‘A number of people have been injured and three people are deceased.

Members of the public were urged to avoid the area to allow emergency vehicles access.

‘VICSES crews from Daylesford, Bacchus Marsh and Ballarat are currently on scene this incident in support of Victoria police,’ said an SES spokesman.