A boy was critically injured and taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital following a collision near the Stud Road off-ramp around 2 p.m. on Sunday. He sustained severe injuries to his upper body.

A 46-year-old woman from Sunbury, who was in the same Mazda as the boy, also suffered critical injuries and was transported to the Alfred Hospital for medical care.

An eight-year-old girl, another passenger in the car, was admitted to the hospital with minor injuries.

In a separate vehicle, a blue Mitsubishi, three individuals—a 68-year-old woman from Campbellfield, a 39-year-old woman from Glenroy, and a six-year-old girl—were hospitalized, though their injuries were not life-threatening.

Occupants of the other three vehicles involved in the accident were unharmed.

The driver of a Volkswagen Tiguan, a 34-year-old man from Berwick, was taken into custody but later released as investigations continue.

Major Collision Investigation Unit detectives are continuing to investigate the circumstances of the crash.

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