TWO grief-stricken relatives from the Bendigo family killed in Sunday's car crash near Castlemaine have spoken about their "needless loss".
The deceased were yesterday named as 45-year-old Richard Ervin, his 46-year-old wife Anne, their daughters Brooke, 17 and Jade, 14.
A 15-year-old French exchange student, Elisabeth Chambon from Compiegne, was also in the car and killed in the crash.
It has been reported that Elisabeth, who was attending Bendigo Secondary College with Brooke, had only been in Australia for a week.
L-plater Brooke Ervin was driving the family's powerful V8 Club Sport Holden when it collided head-on with an oncoming truck on the Midland Hwy at Campbells Creek.
Mr Gerard Fitzpatrick, brother of Anne Ervin, appealed for other young motorists to take care with the school holidays approaching.
"It just seems like such a needless loss of life and we see it so often," he said.
"The school holidays are coming up and I just want to make an appeal for people to take their time and think about it before they get into a car and drive off.
"Don't let this thing happen to you, it's horrific."
Mr Fitzpatrick's brother Peter said the Ervin family was well known and respected throughout the Greater Bendigo area through its links with sport and church.
"This is going to hit so many people in Bendigo, they were very popular and well known, it's just horrific," he said.
"To be honest, I can't believe it."
A third Ervin sister, Corinne, aged 20, was not in the car and is said to be coping with the devastating loss of her entire family.
"Corinne is taking it quite well at this stage, the shock hasn't set in yet but right now she's okay," Mr Gerard Fitzpatrick said.
The police major collisions unit is investigating the crash and a report is being prepared for the coroner.