The victims of the Daylesford pub crash.

Hundreds of mourners turned out for a vigil on Monday evening for five people killed after a car ploughed through a regional Victorian pub.

Three families were at the Royal Daylesford Hotel sitting in the roadside beer garden when a BMW SUV mounted the kerb and hit patrons about 6pm on Sunday.

A 44-year-old Point Cook woman, Pratibha Sharma, was killed along with her partner, 30-year-old Jatin Chugh, and nine-year-old daughter Anvi.

Pratibha Sharma, her daughter Anvi and partner Jatin Chugh died after being hit by a car in the beer garden of a Daylesford pub on Sunday evening. Image: Facebook.

Sharma had recently become a lawyer, was a volunteer at Australian Sikh Support, involved in social work helping victims of domestic violence and had run as an independent candidate for the seat of Werribee in 2018.

Members of Melbourne's Indian community spoke to The Age about their loss.

"It's a big loss together because the entire family, as well as the other two members so five Indian members, our community members, losing their lives is absolutely shocking. Very shocking to the Indian community," Justice of the Peace Tanvi Mor said.

"[Sharma] was heavily involved in the Indian community through various events...[and] actively working for charities and different nonprofit organisations as well. Lovely, lovely woman with a beautiful smile. She was absolutely gorgeous, gorgeous [and] her little daughter as well."

She and her family were enjoying a holiday with their friends of about a decade; 38-year-old Vivek Bhatia and his 11-year-old son, who were killed at the scene, and his 36-year-old wife and six-year-old son who were injured and hospitalised.

Bhupinder Bhullar, a close friend of Vivek Bhatia said the entire community was devastated.

"Vivek was a good person and a really good father," she told the Herald Sun.

"I am with his parents now and it's such a big loss."

She described his son who was also killed as "really cheeky".

The Bhatia family, Dad Vivek and his eldest son died in the Daylesford pub car crash. Image: Facebook.

As well as the five people killed, more were injured. 

A 43-year-old Kyneton woman and a 38-year-old Cockatoo man were injured and both flown to the Royal Melbourne Hospital.

An 11-month-old boy with them was injured but is in a stable condition at the Royal Children's Hospital.

Read more: The families involved in the Victoria pub crash were visiting for the weekend.

The baby's mother, a 34-year-old woman from Cockatoo, was not injured.

More than 200 community members gathered at a vigil at Daylesford's Victoria Park on Monday night, including Victorian Health Minister Mary-Anne Thomas and Federal Infrastructure Minister Catherine King.

The leaders urged the emotional crowd to reach out to support services if they were struggling as a sombre mood fell over mourners huddled on the edge of a football oval.

A steady stream of people, including families and community members, arrived throughout the day to lay flowers and leave teddy bears and messages of condolences at the site of the crash.

"(We) are broken. Rest in peace," one message read.

The pub's owners expressed their deepest sympathies for those killed and injured in the incident in a social media statement and confirmed the venue would be closed until further notice to assist police with investigations.

"All the staff at the hotel are extremely distressed and we have counselling on site to assist the team to manage the impact of the events," they said.

Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the crash was an "absolute tragedy" and commended first responders at the scene, including officers who heard the crash from the local police station and ran over.

"But it comes at a cost as well," he told reporters on Monday.

"They will take that scene with them for many, many years - some may never lose that scene.

"It may haunt them forever."

The 66-year-old driver remained in hospital on Monday night with shock and non-life-threatening injuries.

Police expect to speak to him today.

Mr Patton said the man returned a negative breath test at the scene and is not known to police.

Crash reconstruction specialists are trying to piece together what happened.

Hepburn Mayor Brian Hood said Daylesford would have been crowded on Sunday, with many people enjoying the warm evening on the unofficial Melbourne Cup long weekend.

"This will send shock waves through the community for some time," he told ABC TV.

Police have asked the public to avoid Daylesford so emergency services can access the scene.

Politicians including Premier Jacinta Allan, Opposition Leader John Pesutto and local MPs thanked those who went to the victims' aid and offered their condolences to those affected.

Anyone who witnessed the crash or has dash cam or CCTV footage is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.

Feature image: Facebook.