Taiwan, Hong Kong workers believed dead in Australia crash

(Milan/Adobe Stock)

A road accident in Australia killed five people, including four foreign farm workers, after a driver allegedly failed to give way before entering onto a busy highway.

Taiwanese and Hong Kong workers were believed to be among those killed in the crash, which occurred Thursday on the border of Victoria and New South Wales states, the Australian newspaper Herald Sun reported.

Police have not yet identified the foreign victims.

A 29-year-old driver, who was issued a speeding ticket minutes before the crash, has been charged with five counts of dangerous driving causing death. He had been cited for driving 18 kilometers (11 miles) per hour over the speed limit, court documents showed.

He was given a preliminary oral drug test, which allegedly returned a positive result for cannabis. However, a second test was not positive and police have sent that sample off for forensic testing. Victoria police said the driver told officers he had smoked cannabis one day or more beforehand.

Police allege the driver failed to give way or slow down at the intersection before crossing onto the highway, despite “clearly visible signage” and rumble strips with a warning sign to reduce speed and give way. The accident involved two cars and a truck.

The victims included the foreign workers and their employer, an Australian woman in her 60s.