Son killed, mother seriously injured as tree crashes onto car on Mount Buller Road

A family's drive to the snow ended in tragedy on Monday morning after a large tree came down onto their moving car on Mount Buller Road, in Victoria's alpine high country, killing the son travelling in the passenger seat and leaving his mother with serious injuries.

What happened

Emergency services were called to Mount Buller Road, near the entrance to Mount Buller Resort, at about 9:15 a.m. following reports of a single-vehicle incident. Police believe the car was travelling along the road when a tree suddenly fell, striking the vehicle. The tree reportedly smashed through the windscreen as the pair drove toward the resort.

The male passenger, who had not yet been formally identified, died at the scene, Victoria Police said in a statement issued Monday morning. The driver — his mother — was taken to Wangaratta Hospital in a serious condition with upper body injuries. Some early reports described her injuries as non-life-threatening, though outlets differed slightly on the severity as the morning unfolded; Victoria Police and paramedics remained at the scene to investigate.

A morning of dangerous winds

The crash occurred amid a severe weather warning for Victoria's alpine region. The Bureau of Meteorology had warned of damaging winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h, with peak gusts around 100 km/h, about the state's far eastern Alpine areas that morning, as a vigorous northwesterly airflow pushed ahead of a low-pressure system. Nearby, a 120 km/h wind gust had already been recorded at Mount Hotham the previous evening, and a 100 km/h gust at Falls Creek. Saturated ground from recent heavy rain — more than 160mm at Mount Buffalo Chalet and around 128mm at Strathbogie North in the 24 hours prior — is understood to have added to the risk of trees coming down, with authorities separately warning that storm-loosened trees can become unstable in high winds.

The State Emergency Service had urged motorists to pull over well away from trees if driving conditions turned dangerous, and to avoid travel where possible.

Resort access cut

Mount Buller Resort confirmed the closure of the main access road in the wake of the incident. A alert posted to the resort's website at 9:57 a.m. stated that Mt Buller Road was temporarily closed due to a tree down, and that strong winds were also disrupting some lift operations within the resort. The closure came at the start of the working week during the Southern Hemisphere ski season, when the road carries a steady flow of day-trippers and overnight visitors up the mountain.

Investigation continues

Victoria Police have not released further details about the identities of those involved, pending formal identification and notification of next of kin. The circumstances of the tree fall — including whether wind, waterlogged roots, or tree health played a role — are expected to form part of the ongoing police investigation, which is standard procedure for a fatal single-vehicle incident of this kind.

The tragedy adds to a difficult run of extreme weather across Victoria's north-east in recent days, with flood watches and warnings also current for several rivers in the region, including the Ovens, King, and Goulburn.

This is a developing story; further details, including formal identification of the victims, are expected to be released by Victoria Police in the coming days.