Tragedy on Hamilton Highway as student dies in bus rollover near Stonehaven

A young student has died and several others have been injured after a school bus rolled near Stonehaven on Wednesday morning.

Emergency services were called to the intersection of Hamilton Highway and Friend-In-Hand Road at about 8.20am following reports of a serious crash involving a Christian College Geelong school bus carrying about 40 students.

Two specialist Air Ambulance Victoria helicopter crews, two Mobile Intensive Care Ambulance (MICA) paramedic crews and four Advanced Life Support (ALS) paramedic road crews attended the scene.

Victoria Police confirmed the bus had rolled and that a young girl died at the scene. A male student suffered serious injuries and was taken to hospital, while several other students sustained injuries of varying severity.

Five patients have been transported to University Hospital Geelong and another five have been transported to Royal Children’s Hospital.

Ambulance Victoria and CFA crews attended the scene, with paramedics triaging and treating patients. A number of children were seen being transferred onto another bus, wrapped in blankets.

“It’s understood several people have been seriously injured,” a police spokesperson said.

The Department of Transport has confirmed the Hamilton Highway remains closed in both directions between Burnside Road and Friend-In-Hand Road.

“The closure is under the control of Victoria Police,” a department spokesperson said.

Motorists are advised to avoid the area, with detours in place via the Geelong Ring Road, Princes Highway and Inverleigh–Winchelsea Road. Traffic signals are being adjusted to manage increased volumes.

Victoria Police have established a command post at the site and Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are working alongside highway patrol officers to determine the cause of the crash.

Investigations are ongoing and authorities are expected to provide further updates.