Victoria Police have released a driver after a car crashed into a school fence, tragically killing one schoolboy and seriously injuring four others.

The tragic incident occurred at Auburn South Elementary School on Tuesday afternoon when a 40-year-old driver was picking up her son from school.

The driver allegedly suffered a medical incident while attempting to make a U-turn, veering off the road and hitting a table on the school grounds where young children were at recess.

The aftermath was described as frantic, with emergency services, locals and school people rushing to help.

An 11-year-old boy suffered serious injuries in the accident and died on the way to hospital.

Two 11-year-old girls, a 10-year-old girl and a 10-year-old boy were seriously injured and taken to hospital.

Three of the children were taken to the Royal Children’s Hospital and two to Monash Medical Centre.

Police remained at the scene well into Wednesday morning, eventually removing a white Toyota RAV4 from school property in the middle of the night.

The driver, from Hawthorn East, was arrested and questioned by detectives.

However, no charges were laid and she was released overnight pending further investigations.

The woman and child in the car were not injured.

Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan told Sunrise it was a “very, very sad day”.

“If I can, at the outset, I express my deepest condolences to the family and school community who are mourning the loss of a beautiful child today,” he said Wednesday morning. .

“This is certainly something that parents, families and communities across Victoria are feeling across the state.

“There are additional teachers, staff and counselors that will be at the school today and also at the neighboring high school that is right across the street.

“It’s a really tight-knit, close-knit community. There are many families in this community who will be grieving, so today they are providing support to the school community.

Allan did not indulge in speculation, saying it was “too soon” and Victoria Police needed time to do their job.

Inspector Craig McEvoy of Victoria Police said the incident appeared to be a “tragic accident”.

“It’s really difficult for everyone involved, from the community, the school community, the locals, the first responders, the ambulances and the police,” he said.

“These events are always difficult when there are deaths and serious injuries, but especially difficult when children are involved.”

The car had a green P plate, but Inspector McEvoy said he was unsure of the woman’s license status.

The local community was left in mourning after the devastating events.

A school mother told the Herald of the sun The incident was “traumatic.”

“I was notified of the incident on our parents’ WhatsApp group just before 3pm… my stomach sank when I read the message,” she said.

“As I approached the school I could see the emergency services from afar.

“There was a lot of speculation about what had happened.

“I just gave my daughter a big hug when I saw her, everyone is beside themselves.

“It’s a great school with amazing teachers and students and we just pray that the injured kids are okay.”