Heartbroken family of teen, 19, left to die in allegedly stolen car plead for the driver to hand themselves in - as crucial find inside the destroyed vehicle has cops closing in

  •  Driver in deadly car crash allegedly fled scene
  • Lara Guglielmi was left to die in the wreckage
  • Her family is pleading for the driver to return 

The heartbroken family of a teen who was left to die after the allegedly stolen car she was in smashed into another vehicle has pleaded for the driver to turn themselves in. 

Lara Guglielmi, 19, died on Sunday in the north Melbourne suburb of Thomastown when the Kia Cerato she was a passenger in smashed into a Mercedes SUV. 

Police and paramedics rushed to Mahoneys Road just after 1am on Sunday but Ms Guglielmi was unable to be saved. 

Another passenger, a 21-year-old woman from Reservoir, was rushed to Alfred Hospital in Melbourne in a serious but stable condition.

As Ms Guglielmi's family grieve her loss, her heartbroken dad has called for the driver, who police believe fled the scene, to hand themselves in to police.  

The family of a girl left to die in a car crash (pictured) is looking for closure and begging the driver who fled the scene to return and hand themselves in

The family of a girl left to die in a car crash (pictured) is looking for closure and begging the driver who fled the scene to return and hand themselves in

Lara Guglielmi (pictured) died on Sunday after the allegedly stolen car she was a passenger in crashed into a Mercedes SUV

Lara Guglielmi (pictured) died on Sunday after the allegedly stolen car she was a passenger in crashed into a Mercedes SUV

'We'd really like the person who was driving the car to come forward and hand yourself in so that we can have some type of closure or peace that you will be punished for your [alleged] crimes,' Ms Guglielmi's stepmum told 9News.

The teen's stepmum said the family had been 'ripped apart' by her sudden death. 

'She's just a beautiful, beautiful kid,' she said.

'Her dad was like a best friend. No parent should ever have to bury their child.'

The family said Ms Guglielmi had made a 'bad choice' getting into the allegedly stolen Kia but urged the driver to give them answers. 

Victoria Police have a number of promising leads left inside the car. 

A baseball cap and mobile phones were found in the destroyed Cerato and the remains of the car have been delivered to forensic examiners who will gather further evidence. 

'I don't know why they didn't ring a friend, ring the police, knock on a neighbour's door so I want them to come forward and tell us what happened,' Detective Sergeant Luke Miller said.

Two people from the Mercedes, both aged in their 30s, were also taken to Royal Melbourne Hospital in a stable condition. 

Ms Guglielmi's step-mother said the 19-year old (pictured) will be 'so missed', and pleaded with the driver of the Cerato to turn themselves in

Ms Guglielmi's step-mother said the 19-year old (pictured) will be 'so missed', and pleaded with the driver of the Cerato to turn themselves in

The badly-damaged Mercedes SUV sat sideways in the middle of Mahoneys Road on Sunday as emergency services worked to clear the scene

Two people in their 30s in the Mercedes (pictured) were sent to the Royal Melbourne Hospital in stable conditions

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