Mingen He fails to turn up in court for sentencing

The hunt is on for a killer driver who disappeared just days out from his sentencing for causing a collision that killed a beloved paramedic in the state’s west.

A man who caused a collision that killed paramedic, former police officer and mother-of-three Pauline Smith on the Western Highway near the Grampians has gone missing ahead of his sentencing.

A killer driver has gone on the run just days before he was due to be sentenced for causing a crash that claimed the life of an off-duty paramedic.

Mingen He failed to turn up in County Court on Thursday where prosecutor Emma Failla informed Judge Kellie Blair that the killer driver’s partner reported him missing last weekend.

Ms Failla said He was last seen by his partner when he left for work on Saturday and that police believed he was no longer in Victoria.

He was heading west along the Western Highway in Great Western when his Holden Vectra veered onto the wrong lane and collided head-on with a Hyundai i30 driven by Pauline Smith on May 20, 2022.

Ms Smith, a beloved mother-of-three from Berwick, had finished her shift as a paramedic less than an hour before the crash.

She died at the scene while He was flown to The Royal Melbourne Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Police are looking for Mingen He who has gone missing while awaiting sentence for causing the death of off-duty paramedic Pauline Smith on the Western Highway.

He pleaded guilty in the County Court in September to one charge of dangerous driving causing death. The court heard that his vehicle registration expired three days before the crash.

Judge Blair said it was concerning how He went missing and apologised to the family and friends of Ms Smith for the unexpected occurrence.

Ms Failla said He has not reported to police three times a week as per his bail conditions.

Court documents show Ms Smith had finished her night shift at the Stawell branch of Ambulance Victoria after 7.10am on May 20, 2022 and was on her way home.

He left Melbourne at 5am and was travelling towards Horsham for work when witnesses observed him driving erratically.

A motorist smashed the rear passenger window to enter Ms Smith’s vehicle after collision and remained with her until emergency services arrived.

No alcohol and drugs were detected in He and he blamed Ms Smith’s car for coming on to his lane.

He told police his hands tightly gripped the steering wheel and he tried to brake but it was too late.

But police investigations revealed He’s vehicle transitioned from a yaw into a general spin on the bitumen surface before sliding across the road into the path of Ms Smith, at 99km/h.

Hundreds of police and ambulance officers made a guard of honour upon leaving the chapel at Bunurong Memorial Park during Ms Smith’s funeral.

An ambulance, police car, drummers and pipers led her hearse away as the helicopters made a pass above.