A community is mourning the deaths of five teenagers who died in a car crash in NSW on Tuesday night.
The five teenagers, who all attended Picton High School, were crammed into a Nissan ute being driven by an 18-year-old P-plate driver when they hit a tree in Buxton around 8pm.
The impact tore the ute apart and three girls, two aged 14 and one 15, and two boys, 15 and 16, died at the scene.
Watch: Camden police chief Superintendent Paul Fuller speaks to ABC following the crash. Post continues below.
The driver survived and was taken to Liverpool hospital with non-life threatening injuries.
He was later arrested and charged with five counts of dangerous driving occasioning death.
The 18-year-old has been refused bail and will appear at Picton Local Court on Thursday.
Here's what we know about the incident.
Speed was a 'possible factor' in the crash.
Acting Inspector Jason Hogan Commander of the Metropolitan Crash Investigation Unit said the driver returned a negative breath tested at the scene.
"Preliminary investigations would indicate that speed is a possible factor," he told reporters on Wednesday.
Police are also investigating how six people came to be travelling in the ute, which was registered as a four seater.
"Obviously having six people in a four-seater vehicle is inherently dangerous... That will be one of the lines of inquiry."
Hogan described the scene as "extremely confronting" for the people who called triple zero, as well as first responders, some of whom lived in the community and knew the victims.
"It must be extremely traumatic for family, friends, first responders and the local community to have five young lives lost in such circumstances," he said. "It is extremely distressing."
Camden police chief Superintendent Paul Fuller, who has been in the force for 38 years, also described the crash site as "one of the worst accident scenes I have ever come across".
The lives lost.
The victims of the crash were aged 14 to 16 and attended years nine and 11 at Picton High School.
Superintendent Fuller said some of the victims' parents rushed to the scene shortly after the crash "who had found out through social media that their kids may have been involved".
Lily Van De Putte's father, John Van de Putte, told the ABC he isn't resentful at the 18-year-old driver.
"We don't hold any grudges against the driver because he is going to go through hell," he told the publication.
Picton High School student Ellie Mount has remembered Lily and one of the other victims as "amazing" friends.
"I played soccer with them, they were always there [for me]," she told reporters, before sharing the girls invited her to "hang out" on Tuesday night.
"To think that they texted me last night asking if I wanted to hang out with them," she said with tears in her eyes.
"I could have got mum to pick them up... I could have prevented it."
Ellie added that she doesn’t know what to do following the accident.
"They weren't ready to go.
"I feel like I can’t wake up... I’ve had the worst week ever."
A community left devastated.
Wollondilly Shire Mayor Matt Gould said the Buxton community woke up in "shock and mourning" on Wednesday.
"The loss of so many young lives is just devastating and you can't put into words the overwhelming loss many in our community are feeling," he shared in a post on Facebook.
"Our thoughts are with the Picton High and Buxton communities and particularly with the family and friends of those involved, as well as the emergency responders who had to deal with such a heartbreaking scene."
"There's an awful lot of people in the shire that are hurting today, so we need to be there to support and look out for each other."
A number of teenagers wearing school uniforms were seen lying flowers and cards at the crash site on Wednesday.
Premier Dominic Perrottet also offered condolences, saying "Our hearts go out to them at this difficult time".
The premier visited teachers at Picton High School on Wednesday to lend his support to the distraught community.
Two separate counselling teams have been set up at Picton High, one dedicated to staff and another to supporting the 1,100 students.
Police family liaison officers are also offering support to the families and the Road Trauma Support Group is providing counselling.
Investigators are appealing for anyone with dashcam footage or information to contact them.
- With AAP.
Feature Image: ABC/Mamamia.
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