Police arrest fleeing driver allegedly ‘racing’ before Monash Freeway crash
Police have arrested a driver accused of drag racing another man along a Melbourne freeway and then fleeing a crash that left him fighting for life.
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A driver accused of drag racing along a Melbourne freeway, and then fleeing a crash that left a man fighting for life, has been arrested.
Major collision investigation unit detectives swooped on the 20-year-old man on Wednesday morning after he spent more than 24 hours on the run following the serious crash on the Monash Freeway in Melbourne’s southeast on Monday night.
The Narre Warren South man has been accused of drag racing another driver along the freeway and failing to stop when the other vehicle crashed into a concrete pillar under the Springvale Road overpass.
The high-speed crash left a Dandenong man, 20, trapped in his white ute for some time before he was extricated and taken to hospital with life-threatening injuries.
The man remains at The Alfred hospital in a critical condition with upper body injuries.
His passenger – an 18-year-old Dandenong man – was also taken to The Alfred hospital in a stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.
Sergeant Anita Brens said the ute and a white sedan appeared to be racing along the freeway before the crash.
She said the drivers were weaving and changing lanes and narrowly avoided hitting other motorists.
The driver of the white ute then lost control about 10.45pm and smashed into a concrete pillar and rolled under the Springvale Road overpass.
The driver of the white sedan, believed to be a Toyota Camry, which was allegedly speeding alongside the ute between Wellington and Springvale roads prior to the collision, did not stop and fled the scene, police allege.
The Monash Freeway inbound between Springvale and Ferntree Gully roads was closed for almost 12 hours on Tuesday morning while detectives probed the scene.
Dashcam footage released by police shows the white sedan travelling in the far right lane being followed by a white ute before both cars merge into the middle lane in front of a motorcycle.
The footage shows both cars narrowly avoided hitting innocent motorists.
It’s believed the cars were racing for up to 6km prior to the crash.
Police said a vehicle, believed to be the white sedan, was located and would be seized as part of the investigation.
Any witnesses or motorists with dashcam vision have been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Originally published as Police arrest fleeing driver allegedly ‘racing’ before Monash Freeway crash
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