A fiery crash in which a Mercedes driver was killed in Melbourne's east early on Saturday morning is "one of the most horrific" police attending the scene have seen.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
Police believe a car may have been speeding on the wrong side of the road moments before the Glen Waverley collision.
The driver of a Mazda was seen by witnesses driving erratically on Waverley Road before allegedly rear-ending the Mercedes that caught fire as it mounted a median strip and crashed into a metal light pole just before 2am.
The Mazda veered off the road and crashed into two cars on display in a car dealership near the intersection of Springvale Road.
The Mercedes driver, who was travelling alone and is believed to have been aged in his 40s or 50s, died at the scene.
The Mazda driver, aged in his 30s and also travelling alone, was taken to The Alfred with chest, arm and leg injuries in a serious but stable condition, Ambulance Victoria spokesman John Mullen said.
A trail of debris remains scattered over a lengthy distance in the lead-up to the crash scene.
The pole has been knocked to the ground and about 15 metres away lies the Mercedes' engine.
The speedometer in the Mazda is locked at more than 200km/h.
Police Victoria detective sergeant Mark Amos said the Mazda driver was unlikely to be formally interviewed on Saturday.
Detective sergeant Mark Amos said the crash scene was one of the most horrific he had attended.
"To be honest Blind Freddy could tell you there's going to be some element of speed in this collision," he said.
The impact of the collision caused the fuel tanks of the the Mercedes to erupt and ignite before the car struck the light pole.
"In order to do that, to crush the back of the car in as far as it has, requires an enormous amount of force," detective sergeant Mark Amos said.
"We've got nothing to suggest there has been a race. We've got a couple of witnesses ... generally we're getting indications of speed and some sort of erratic behaviour."
Waverley Road remains closed in both direction between Springvale Road and Ivanhoe Street.
Anyone who witnessed the collision is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au
The death takes the state's road toll to 214 for the year, down from 252 at the same stage last year.
