Musician identified as man killed in tree-car crush on Mount Buller

Musical artist Talae Rodden has been identified as the victim of a tragic tree-car collision on Mount Buller. The Rodden family owns several enterprises within Victoria's High Country region, including properties in Mansfield, Merrijig, and Mount Buller. The police are actively investigating the incident and will submit a report to the coroner.

The 24-year-old musician was killed at the scene on Monday when a tree fell onto the car he was traveling in. His mother, Sally, was severely injured and taken to a hospital with upper-body wounds. Rodden's father, Cha, and his brother, Jared, were also in the vehicle but were not harmed.

Rodden was remembered fondly as a gifted musician and a valued member of the Mount Buller community. An online fundraising page described him as a budding artist behind his solo project, RiceWine. He leaves behind his parents, Sally, Cha, and his brother, Jared. The family's lodges and retail shops on the mountain and in nearby Mansfield and Merrijig provide essential services to the community.

Mansfield Shire Council Mayor Steve Rabie expressed that the loss will be deeply felt throughout the shire, citing the close-knit nature of the community. He assured the Rodden family that they were not alone in their distress. "Mansfield is a small and very close-knit community," said Cr Rabie. "When something like this happens, the impact reaches well beyond those immediately involved, and I know many people across our community have been deeply affected by this news.

Our thoughts are with the family, and as a community, we stand with them." The police investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death is currently ongoing.