A toddler has been killed after it was hit by a car in a Melbourne driveway.

The young child was struck by the vehicle in the driveway of an Esteem Road property at Craigieburn about 8.20pm on Friday.

Emergency services rushed to the incident and paramedics worked on the child but they died at the scene.

Victoria Police have said the male driver stopped at the scene and is assisting officers with inquiries.

The circumstances surrounding the collision are yet to be established, with officers continuing their investigation.

The fatality comes as Victorian drivers are being urged to take more care when travelling on roads as the road toll continues to climb.

Victoria’s road toll has hit a 15-year high with a total of 270 lives lost on the states road compared to this time last year when 225 lives were lost.

The figure is the highest since 2008 when 261 people died on the state’s roads and represents a more than 20 per cent increase year to date.

A total of 241 people were killed in road crashes in 2022, slightly up from the five-year average of 237. Of those, 36 died between November and December.

Earlier this year, Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn Weir described the grim milestone as “truly tragic”.

“With two months to go in the year, it is incredibly concerning that we find ourselves in this position. This should be a wake-up call to everyone,” he said.

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