Two of the four friends killed when their car was T-boned on an isolated Victorian road held hands as they died from internal injuries.
Elaine Middleton, Claudia Jackson, Tess Ely and Dianne Barr, aged between 64 to 75, were heading home after a line dancing event in St Arnaud when the car was hit in Navarre about 6pm on Saturday.
"Seeing that scene, it was horrific... four women who looked like they were just asleep, so they've died from internal injuries," Assistant Commissioner Doug Fryer told reporters on Sunday.
"The sight of the driver holding the passenger's hand as she passed will haunt me for some time."
The women were driving in a Kia Rio on an isolated, clear stretch of road in a 70km/h section when the other car came straight through an intersection in an 80km/h zone, Mr Fryer said.
"The elderly women had no chance whatsoever, there was no opportunity to take evasive action," he said, adding the intersection had no history of significant crashes.
Four people from a nearby house came out to help before emergency services arrived.
"They've been in the community for decades, they've been valued members within the community for decades," Mr Fryer said.
The 64-year-old woman driving the other car was taken to hospital where she had blood samples taken. She will be interviewed by police.
The Cactus Moons line dancing group posted on Facebook on Saturday.
"It is with a heavy heart we must tell you that four of our line dancing family senselessly and tragically lost their lives after dancing with us at St Arnaud on Saturday," it wrote.
"This is truly heartbreaking for everyone and we extend our sympathy to their loved ones and to their friends where they dance at Hamilton."
Hamilton Bootscooters' Linda Rook, who taught the women linedancing for 23 years, told AAP she had lost very close friends and their deaths left a "very big hole".
"We are absolutely devastated. We are just trying to support each other," she said on Sunday.
"We are just going to miss them heaps. They are very dedicated to our linedancing group."
Ms Rook said only four of the 12 in their group, who went to the event, drove home last night.
Cynthia Rennolds, who had organised the Cactus Moon Linedancing event, said knew three of the women very well through line dancing and could not believe they were gone.
"To lose four in one foul swoop it is very hard to get your head around," she told AAP on Sunday.
"They are full of fun. Always helped when needed. Fabulous, fabulous women ... just great people who loved their line dancing."
She said it was "too soon" to decide whether the annual event would be held again.
Victoria's road toll now stands 78, with eight people killed on Victoria's roads since Saturday morning.
