‘We hit him’: Dan Andrews’ triple-0 call after teenager collides with then-Premier’s car

The bombshell release of Dan Andrews’ triple-0 call after he collided with a teenage cyclist has raised questions about a claim made by the former Premier.

A triple-zero call from former Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews has come to light raising questions about an accident that occurred a decade ago that saw a teenager nearly die.

Ryan Meuleman, then 15, was cycling in Blairgowrie, on the Mornington Peninsula, in January 2013 when he collided with an SUV driven by Mr Andrews’ wife Catherine.

The impact saw Mr Meuleman suffer serious injuries that led to him being flown to hospital.

He lost his spleen and had rib and lung damage. His father has said he went to a “dark place,” after the collision that saw him lose “10 years of his life”.

Then Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews in September 2023. Picture: NCA / Josie Hayden.

Now in his mid-twenties, Mr Meuleman has always maintained that the Andrews’ car struck him that day. But Mr Andrews said that their car was hit by the cyclist.

“The cyclist was travelling at speed and hit our car at a perfect right angle very heavily,” he told police after the incident.

“I want to make it clear – the cyclist hit our vehicle”.

Premier Daniel Andrews Ford territory car after the 2013 crash with Ryan Meuleman, Picture: Supplied

There was major damage to the windscreen. Picture: Supplied

‘We hit him’

On Friday, however, Channel 9’s A Current Affair played a triple-zero call where Mr Andrews appeared to say that it was the car that hit the cyclist.

Mr Andrews, who has said he was in the passenger seat at the time of the accident, tells the dispatcher the address and describes the incident.

“We’ve turned right into Ridley Street and a kid’s coming flying through on the bike path.

“And we’ve hit him”.

After saying it was his car that hit the child, the former Premier then said that the victim was “on the ground,” was conscious but was in “a lot, a lot of pain”.

The teen’s body left a huge dent in the Ford Territory’s windscreen smashing the glass.

Mrs Andrews wasn’t breathalysed after the crash, and Mr Meuleman wasn’t given the opportunity to give a statement to police.

No charges were ever laid in relation to the incident.

Ryan Meuleman after his accident

Talking to A Current Affair, Mr Muehleman’s father Peter said, “every Australian deserves to hear what that triple-0 call is all about – up until now it had never been discussed”.

Peter Meuleman said then when he first heard the call it was “disturbing” and “chilling”.

“As the father of the boy in that accident, we relive it just about every day.

Daniel Andrews with wife Catherine after announcing his resignation. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Andrew Henshaw.

“(The call) vindicates my son’s version of events, with Andrews admitting on that call that ‘we hit’ the boy, as opposed to my son hitting in the car.

“Ryan’s version of events has always been that the car hit him and, in his words, came out of nowhere, and sent him into the windscreen and over the back of the car onto the road,” he added.

Peter Meuleman said the accident had affected his son “greatly”.

“It’s taken away 10 years of his life and it’s put him into a shell and into a dark place for the last decade.”

Ryan Meuleman spent 11 days in hospital after the crash and received a compensation payout in 2016.

However, he now alleges law firm Slater and Gordon failed to conduct a full investigation into the circumstances of the crash.

Ryan Meuleman's father Peter Meuleman. Picture: NewsWire / Diego Fedele

Last year, a document from Ambulance Victoria paramedics who attended the crash scene said the cyclist was struck by a car.

The “Patient Care Report” reads, “15YO on bike. Struck on L side by car travelling 40 to 60kmh … PT onto bonnet, then onto windscreen which cracked on impact … thrown onto roadway.”

The document was uncovered as part of Mr Meuleman’s legal action.

In July, Mr and Mrs Andrews agreed to hand over their phone records from the day of the incident.

Initially up to 11 years of phone records from the Andrews had been sought. But that was whittled down to just a single day.

Lawyers for the Andrews had said the initial request was “oppressive”.

News.com.au has contacted Mr Andrews for comment.

 

Originally published as ‘We hit him’: Dan Andrews’ triple-0 call after teenager collides with then-Premier’s car