Human remains discovered on Western Highway in Kiata, police still searching for answers

Human remains were discovered on the eastbound lane of the Western Highway in Kiata early Friday morning, April 4. A passerby made the discovery around 8am, prompting a major police response and a highway closure in both directions for much of the day.

The deceased is yet to be formally identified but is believed to be female, according to Victoria Police. Police have confirmed the case is being treated as a possible hit-and-run. The Major Collision Investigation Unit has been brought in and detectives believe the woman may have been struck by a truck or heavy vehicle sometime between 9pm on Thursday, April 3 and 2am Friday morning.

Dashcam footage retrieved from the area shows the body was already on the road by 2am, but it wasn’t spotted until daylight hours. While formal identification hasn’t been made public, police say the victim is believed to be a local woman. Her presence on the highway in the early hours remains unexplained.

Kiata, a small farming town about halfway between Dimboola and Nhill with a population of just 64 according to the 2021 census, rarely sees incidents of this nature. Detective Inspector Craig McEvoy said investigators believe the woman is local to the region and are trying to determine how she came to be on the road and whether the driver who struck her was aware of what had occurred. 

Investigators are asking for anyone travelling in the area around the time of the incident with dashcam footage to please contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au.

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