Four young men are dead after a horrific crash when their car lost control and rolled after smashing into a guard rail

  • Four men died after their car lost control and crashed through a guard rail
  • The men were  aged 28, 23, 22 with a 17-year-old boy
  • The four forestry workers died at the Penola scene, southeast of Adelaide
  • Emergency crews are currently at the scene of the fatal crash
  • The families of the victims have been notified

By Sinead Maclaughlin For Daily Mail Australia and Aap

Published: 17:39 EST, 18 November 2016 | Updated: 00:46 EST, 19 November 2016

A group of four young men have died in a horrific accident after their car lost control, crashed through a guard rail and rolled.

The men - aged 28, 23 and 22 - and a 17-year-old boy all died at the scene in Penola, south-east of Adelaide. 

Police and emergency services responded to a single car rollover on the Riddoch Highway about 3am local time on Saturday.

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Four men have lost their lives in a tragic accident after their car lost control and crashed through a guard rail

Heart-breakingly one of the occupants survived the crash, but was unable to be saved by ambulance officers who attended the scene, according to The Advertiser.  

'It has a big impact, you've got the families here… then you've got the people that have been here,' Wattle Range CFS Group Officer Fred Stent said.

 'I just couldn't put it into words really, I feel very, very sad for them[the families], I really do.'

It's believed the four men were a team of forestry workers who were returning to town when their utility vehicle (ute) slammed into a tree and rolled.

They were all local to the area.

'This is a tragedy which will have a profound effect on the families involved and the wider Limestone Coast community,' Sergeant Ryan Meakin said.

He urged the community to rally around the families of those killed, especially going into the festive season.

Emergency service crews who attended the scene were expected to receive counselling. 

The men aged 28, 23, 22 and a 17-year-old boy all died at the scene in Penola, southeast of Adelaide

Emergency crews are remain at the scene of the fatal crash , after getting reports of the smash around 3am Saturday morning

The Riddoch Highway, south of Penola, was blocked for several hours as emergency crews attempt to determine the cause of the fatal crash, but has since been reopened.

Police have advised motorists to avoid the area, with heavy vehicles asked to use the Penola Bypass, 50 metres south of the tragic accident on the highway.

The investigation is ongoing.  

The death toll on South Australian roads is now 83 compared to 93 this time last year.

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