Millane crash still haunts cop 30 years on

The first officer on site of the crash which killed Collingwood star Darren Millane says the carnage will haunt him forever, as police issue a stark warning.

Millane’s brother Sean Millane (right) and retired Sgt Harry Van Rossum, who attended the crash in Boronia. Picture: Alex Coppel.

The carnage caused by a horrific road accident which cost Pies star Darren Millane his life remains a vivid memory for first responders.

Close to thirty years after the car crash which killed the 1990 premiership hero, aged just 26, police say the tragedy highlights how anyone can become a victim of the road toll.

Millane was found to have alcohol in his system following the October 7 crash, just one year after he had thrown the footy into the air at the end of the 1990 Grand Final, ending Collingwood’s 32-year premiership drought.

Retired Sergeant Harry Van Rossum was district supervisor the night of the fatal and vividly recalls the carnage Millane’s Mitsubishi Magna caused when it hit the back of a slow-moving truck at speed.

“There are some accidents that stay with you forever,” Mr Van Rossum said of the Queens Road accident.

“His car was damaged extensively and had flipped on its roof. The fact it was someone in the public eye, it does stay in your memory forever.”

He said Millane’s death caused a ripple-effect throughout the community.

“I remember the truck driver breaking down in tears when I was taking a statement from him,” he said.

Darren Millane in action during in 1988.

“He had been driving trucks his whole life and had never been involved in an accident. He was devastated.”

Sean Millane, 53, said not a day passed with thoughts turning to his brother.

“My message would be to think about others before you make the wrong decision,” Sean said.

He said his father, Bob, found out about what had happened to Darren on the radio while on deliveries as a milkman.

“My dad never got over it. He ended up taking his own life,” Sean said.

“There’s no good way to find out but there couldn’t be a much worse way.”

He said even three decades later, he was stopped by strangers wanting to talk about Darren.

“I still get a bit of a buzz out of that. I’m proud of being a Millane.”

Assistant Commissioner for road policing Glenn Weir said the lessons are not heeded.

“Despite the impact of Darren’s death at the time, the scenes from his funeral at the Dandenong Town Hall and the constant messaging in the years gone by, drivers continue to put themselves and others at risk by making some really poor choices,” he said.

Mr Weir said tragically five people died on Victorian roads over the grand final long weekend in 2020, a figure he did not want repeated this year.

Mr Van Rossum said he hoped Victorians could be mindful of the destruction drink driving can cause.

“It is a no-brainer to me,” he said.

“If you want to avoid road trauma, the grief you can cause your family and friends, it is simple. Don’t drink and drive.”