Two women killed while trying to help injured kangaroo on Melbourne freeway

Two women have died after being hit by a car while trying to help an injured kangaroo on a busy freeway in Melbourne’s north.

The deaths have prompted warnings about the dangers of stopping to help wildlife.

The women were struck and killed on the Hume Highway at Craigieburn on Thursday night.

Road policing assistant commissioner Glenn Weir said the pair were driving towards the city when they hit a kangaroo and stopped to assist it.

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Police believe another vehicle travelling in the same direction did not see their car until the “last minute” and swerved to avoid it, hitting the women at high speed.

A 30-year-old Beveridge woman died at the scene, while a 30-year-old Thomastown woman was flown to hospital and later died.

The driver stayed at the scene and assisted police.

A spokesperson for wildlife rescue organisation Wires told local ABC radio it was “fully understandable” that people want to help injured animals.

“People get so distressed when they see an animal on the side of road,” he said.

But in such situations they should contact wildlife rescue groups, he said.

Weir said the section of the freeway was a dark area at night.

He said everyone wants to stop and help injured animals but reminded motorists of the dangers of doing so.

“It’s inherently dangerous to be on the roadway particularly at night ... and drizzly conditions,” he told local ABC radio.

“You’ve just got to really consider your surroundings.

“Terrible for the person driving behind, who struck them, [and] other people on the freeway who saw what happened.”

The road policing head had appeared at a parliamentary inquiry into wildlife road strikes on Monday.

As well as promoting driver education and public awareness, the inquiry is investigating road strike-related major trauma incidents.

The state’s road toll has lifted to 205 deaths, 11 more than at the same time in 2024.

Weir said road fatalities had fluctuated over the first eight months of 2025.

“The commonality is that there’s really no commonality.”