Hundreds pay respects at vigil for Daylesford crash victims

Members of the emergency services who responded to Sunday night's tragedy, along with members of the public and local politicians also attended the service.

"We invite the community to come following the traumatic events of the weekend," Hepburn Mayor Brian Hood said.

"Everyone was warmly welcomed."

Police will question a 66-year-old Mount Macedon driver whose BMW SUV travelled west down the Albert Street hill, mounting a kerb and ploughing straight through a small public park - which also acted as a beer garden for Daylesford's Royal Hotel.

Police have confirmed the dead and injured were all from Melbourne's south-western suburbs.

A 38-year-old Tarneit man and his 11-year-old son were killed.

The man's 36-year-old wife was injured and flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital, while a second son - aged six - was flown to the Royal Children's Hospital.

A second family - which was known to the Tarneit group - hailed from Point Cook.

Police said a 30-year-old man and his partner - a 44-year-old woman - were killed. The woman's nine year old daughter has also died.

A third group were also injured including a 43-year-old Kyneton woman and a 38-year-old man from Cockatoo, east of Melbourne. They were flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

An 11-month-old boy who was with them was also injured and taken to Grampians Health (Ballarat Base) before being transferred to the Royal Children's.

The baby's mother, aged 34 from Cockatoo, was not injured.

Members of the public who ran to help the injured said the driver appeared "glazed" and did not leave the car until escorted out by paramedics, wearing a neck brace.

Police on Monday said there was no sign of alcohol in his system and he was not known to police, apart from a few speeding tickets.

Monday night's vigil comes as distraught community members light candles at Daylesford's Anglican church.

When we spoke to Rev Neil FitzGerald he said the church had run out of candles - and he was trying to get more.

The outpouring of grief was also reflected in an ever increasing pile of flowers left at a statue of children on a horse, just metres from the accident site.

Two men, a woman and a young boy died at the scene - while a fifth victim - a young girl - died in the Alfred Hospital at 9.40pm.

The Central Springs Road church will also hold an ecumenical service for people of all faiths from 5.30pm Wednesday.

"It will be a service of reflection - and to thank those who helped," Rev FitzGerald said.

He spent much of the day at the accident site - along with the Mayor and Hepburn Chief Executive Bradley Thomas - talking to the everyday people thrust into extraordinary circumstances as the sun went down the night before.

They included Kimmi Moscicki - who watched the scene unfold with a group of local friends from a verandah table at the nearby RSL.

"Daylesford is still a good safe town," she said.

"It was an accident - a horrible, horrible, horrible accident.

"I think it'll make everyone that's experienced it probably closer to each other.

"The townspeople will be closer.

"It'll pull people together but there'll be a lot of sadness and healing before that - not just for us, but for the poor families.

"That includes the people who have to come in an identify bodies - what if one of their children has just lost both of their parents?

"I think we just have to stick together.

"It's just surreal.

"I've been there and I saw what happened but it still doesn't feel real."

The tight-knit group of local women - including some who did CPR and helped direct traffic - remained at the RSL until more than an hour after it was supposed to close.

Some returned to the scene Monday morning to lay flowers.

"What I saw I can never ever unsee that," one said.

Daylesford is already hurting from the death of Wayne Shields on October 17 - which is still under investigation - as well as the death of a beloved cabbie last week.

Therapy dog 'Chilli' and his owner Luke Iris also arrived from charity Miracle Paws to comfort locals, visitors and emergency personnel.

The Albert Street statue which has become the focus for floral tributes shows children riding a draughthorse.

Titled 'From School', it was created by Trentham-born artist Stanley Hammond (1913-2000) who trained at the Daylesford Technical School.

It was inspired by the C J Dennis poem 'Going to School' - about an old horse that finds a new lease on life by transporting and taking care of children.