Gazi Azraf Ezaz, 18, was riding his bike to the gym when he was killed in a collision with a truck at an intersection in Mount Waverley in Melbourne’s south-east.

Friends and family of the first-year Monash University student have described his death early on Wednesday as a “tragic loss”.

Gazi Azraf Ezaz was killed in a collision in Mount Waverley on Wednesday.Credit:LinkedIn

Meanwhile, police have expressed exasperation at the state’s ballooning road toll, after four people died within 72 hours this week.

Ezaz arrived in Melbourne from Bangladesh in 2018 and was studying to be a physiotherapist.

“We are heartbroken to announce the sad passing of 18-year-old Azraf Ezaz on Wednesday, March 8 in Melbourne,” the family said in a Facebook post shared by Afia Anjum Mumu.

Ezaz attended Mount Waverley Secondary College before he was accepted to study at Monash University.

“Azraf was a lovely young man who had a particular interest in inclusion and wellbeing,” Mount Waverley principal Karen Wade said in a statement.

“He was highly respected by our students and staff and this is a tragic loss for our school community.”

Monash University added special prayers to the end of its Friday afternoon prayers.

“We express our sincere condolences to Azraf’s family and friends, and extend our sympathy and support to his mother,” the university said in a statement.

“This is a tragic loss of a young life.”

Police are investigating the cause of the collision, which happened at the intersection of Waverley and Stephensons roads about 6.40am.

The truck driver stopped at the scene and spoke with police.

Assistant commissioner for road policing Glenn Weir said the toll had been a horrible start to the year for the state.

“We have had 72 people die on Victorian roads, which is significantly up [on this time] last year,” he said on Friday.

“It’s so frustrating as last year was the fourth-lowest total in history, the year before was the third-lowest.

“Yet this year we have seen people engaging in reckless, dangerous and careless activity that has resulted in significant loss of life.”

Weir warned there would be more people on the state’s roads over the long weekend.

“We will be putting a significant effort into keeping people safe, but they have got to keep themselves safe,” he said.

“We are getting really frustrated with the risk-taking that is occurring and putting individuals, passengers and other road users at risk.”

Weir said 60 per cent of this year’s fatalities were in rural areas and there was an increase in deaths at intersections.

“These are intersections controlled by signage and/or lights, so it should be a simple activity for people to take due care and attention to,” he said.

“Take a few more seconds to check left and check right. Don’t run the risk of speeding through an intersection and keep yourself safe.”

Weir said most road deaths were avoidable.

“There are very few accidents that we attend,” he said.

“You don’t get three or four chances. Sometimes you make one mistake and it is fatal. It is forever and people need to take a good, hard look at themselves with some of the behaviours we are seeing as there is no coming back.”

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