A child has died and a teenage girl is in a critical condition after a horrific three-car crash near the South Australian-Victoria border.

Emergency services rushed to the Riddoch Highway near Nangwarry, about 400km southeast of Adelaide, about 2.40pm.

The chaos began when a black Holden sedan collided with an emu, police said on Sunday evening.

“A black Holden sedan collided with an emu, with no injuries to the driver and sole occupant,” police said.

“A gray Toyota station wagon braked to avoid the collision, while a white Nissan vehicle crashed into the rear of the Toyota.

“Two occupants of the Toyota, a five-year-old boy, died at the scene, while a 15-year-old girl was taken to hospital with serious injuries.

“The driver, a 42-year-old man, and two other passengers, a 46-year-old woman, a 13-year-old girl and a six-year-old boy, were taken to hospital for treatment of minor injuries.”

All occupants of the Toyota were from Mount Gambier, police added.

The driver of the Nissan, a 22-year-old man from Worrolong, was not injured but paramedics took him to hospital as a precaution.

Major Crash agents are now on site to investigate the circumstances of the accident.

The boy’s death is the 71st life lost on South Australia’s roads in 2024.

Road closures are in place and will remain in place for most of the evening, police said.