Updated ,first published
An unlicensed driver has been charged after a young man was hit by a car and died outside the annual Supanova comic culture convention in Melbourne’s inner north-west on Saturday.
A group of three pedestrians were leaving the event at the Melbourne Showgrounds just before 5pm when a blue Toyota sedan allegedly mounted the kerb on Langs Road, striking and killing a 20-year-old Keysborough man.
Another 20-year-old man was also hit by the vehicle. He remains in a stable condition at the Royal Melbourne Hospital with significant lower body injuries.
A third member of the group, who was not physically injured, was taken to hospital suffering “trauma”, police said.
Awer Dau, a 33-year-old Werribee man, was charged with dangerous driving causing death and culpable driving while on bail.
Police allege Dau did not have a driver’s licence at the time of Saturday’s incident in Ascot Vale.
Dau appeared in Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Sunday, wearing a dark-coloured jumper and cargo pants. He sat with his fingers interlaced and head bowed during the hearing.
A police prosecutor told the court they would need 16 weeks to gather a large amount of evidence related to the crash, including CCTV, mobile phone information, mechanical and forensic evidence from the car and witness statements.
The court was told Dau had no health issues which would need to be managed while he was in custody. He did not apply for bail.
The 33-year-old will return to court on September 16.
The event, expected to attract up to 26,000 attendees over the weekend, paused for a minute’s silence at noon on Sunday in tribute to the dead and injured men, who organisers believe were cosplay enthusiasts leaving the convention.
Major collision investigation unit Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy described the driver as “well known to police”.
A spokesman for Victoria Police said the investigation into the incident was ongoing, and “further charges are anticipated”.
Supanova founder and director Daniel Zachariou later told this masthead that most attendees and organisers were oblivious to the tragedy unfolding outside gate 2 of the showgrounds on Saturday evening.
“We had guests signing until 7.30 because it was so popular, and yet, a whole tragedy was unfolding just 100 metres up the road that we really knew very little about,” Zachariou said.
“We’re all gutted and at the same time, like so many other people in the world who suffer tragedies, we’ve also had to just step up and do what we need to do in delivering this event.”
Volo Kazmirchuk, who attended Supanova on Saturday and Sunday, said he had heard of the incident on the way home on Saturday evening.
“It’s tragic and my sincere condolences to the families and to those affected,” Kazmirchuk said.
“But I don’t feel bad coming back here because it’s not something that happened in the event here, God forbid, a shooting or something like that.”
McEvoy said on Saturday evening that police were investigating whether the incident was intentional.
“One hundred per cent. We’ll look at everything,” McEvoy said. “We’ll let the evidence tell us what’s occurred here tonight. We’re still yet to determine if drugs, alcohol, speed are involved, but that will form part of our investigation.”
McEvoy said the car had swerved into the pedestrians, then drove 120 metres along the footpath between trees, power poles and the fence around the showgrounds.
Witness told this masthead that the driver had allegedly tried to flee the scene but was restrained by passers-by before an off-duty police officer arrested him. The car was believed to be a rental.
“The vehicle has travelled a significant distance along the footpath, which is extremely odd,” McEvoy said. “Nothing suggests at this point in time [that] it’s medically related.
“He’s well known to police at this point in time,” McEvoy said.
Premier Jacinta Allan said it was a tragic incident that never should have happened.
“My heart goes out to the family and loved ones of the individual who has been tragically killed, and I understand there are others who are injured,” she said. “Police are investigating, so it’s a little soon to provide further details around individuals or the circumstances surrounding this terrible accident.”
She thanked emergency services who had responded, acknowledging it would have been an “incredibly distressing” scene.
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