Three people are dead and another is fighting for her life after a fiery crash west of Melbourne on Christmas Eve.
Police are blaming excess speed for the "devastating" crash in which one vehicle burst into flames.
Police said the incident happened on Palmers Road in Point Cook, west of Melbourne, when a car was travelling at high speed and lost control, swerving onto the other side the road and colliding head-on with a small hatchback car about 7:30pm.
The wreckage was strewn about 100 metres from the scene, with the motor and battery ripped out of the speeding car which was incinerated, killing two people.
A woman in the hatchback was also killed and another woman is in hospital with life-threatening injuries.
Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer said the deaths were a "tragedy".
"We've lost three lives and got a woman fighting for life in one of the local hospitals," he said at the scene.
"Two innocent people just probably trying to get home to wrap presents and they've never made it."
Assistant Commissioner Fryer said they cannot even identify the gender of two of those killed.
"It is clear to everyone who's had a look at this scene that the speed was well in excess of 70kph and I'm talking well in excess," he said.
"This was a tragedy that didn't need to happen.
"The sort of speeds we're talking about to cause this devastation are just crazy speeds and we've now got three people who simply aren't going to be there to open presents."
A report will be prepared for the coroner.
