A testosterone-fuelled drag race ended in the fiery death of two people after their car plunged off a Melbourne freeway, police say.
Up to 100 vehicles filled with young hoons were dispersed by police before the crash beside the E J Whitten Bridge on the Western Ring Road in Keilor East early on Wednesday morning.
It's believed a silver Ford Falcon and a blue Holden ute were racing along the freeway when the ute driver lost control and crashed through the barrier.
The car exploded on impact 100 metres from the road and 15 metres below.
Police have not identified the victims but social media post suggests they were a man and a woman, both aged 19.
Before the crash, police say they were called to Campbellfield after reports that up to 100 cars were doing burnouts and hooning around the streets.
Police dispersed the group and believe the Ford was one of the vehicles at the event, known as the Northern Skids.
Witnesses say they saw the sedan and ute travelling at high speed along the Western Ring Road before the ute driver lost control and crashed off the side of the bridge.
Major collisions investigator Detective Inspector Bernie Rankin said the cars were side by side and travelling around 160km/h before the ute careered through the barrier.
"This is just a classic case of testosterone, adrenaline, young fellows and fast cars. It's just a dreadful mix," he told reporters at the scene.
A witness who was driving to work told 3AW the cars gave him a "fright" as they sped past him, before he saw the ute smash though the railing and explode in flames.
Police are trying to locate the Ford sedan and are trying to establish if there was contact between the vehicles before the crash.
