Road worker Peter Dyck killed after being hit by car on Eastern Freeway

A family has remembered a “generous” and hardworking father who always offered to help people in need after he was killed by an out-of-control car while working on the Eastern Fwy.

The Eastern Freeway is closed after a road worker was killed on Wednesday. Picture: David Crosling

The grieving family of a Boronia dad killed after he was hit by a car on the Eastern Fwy have joined a chorus of tributes for the much-loved road worker.

Peter Dyck was working in Clifton Hill, near Hoddle St, just after midnight when he was struck by an out-of-control car on Tuesday night.

The 58-year-old traffic controller was taken to hospital but could not be saved.

His family have remembered him as a hardworking father who would always offer to help those in need.

“We are absolutely devastated at the loss of a much loved dad, brother, and friend of many,” the family statement read.

“He was a hard-worker and there wasn’t many things he couldn’t do.

“Our dad was always the first one to reach out and help others in their times of need.

“We will miss him dearly and would like to thank our extended family, friends, and work colleagues of our dad for their messages of love and support.

“We would also like to thank all of the people that stopped, including members of the public, ambulance paramedics, and police that did all they could to help our dad. Your compassion and care means a lot to us.”

Peter Dyck was killed on the Eastern Freeway near Clifton Hill.

Australian Workers’ Union spokeswoman Jade Campbell said Mr Dyck’s death “should not have happened”.

“It was so avoidable”, she said.

The driver of the red Toyota MR2 sports car, a 27-year-old man from North Melbourne, was arrested and is assisting police with their inquiries.

Major Collision Investigation Unit Senior Sergeant Christian Von Tunk said Mr Dyck had been inspecting a light pole when he was struck.

Peter Dyck has been remembered as a ‘generous and caring’ friend.

“The (Toyota) lost control and stuck the barrier several times. As he lost control he’s unfortunately collected a road worker,” he said.

“We’ve got a really long collision scene of where a loss of control has occurred.”

Tributes have flooded in for the Boronia father, with traffic cones displayed on cars to show respect for a fallen colleague.

Devastated friends have remembered him as “generous” and “always ready to offer a helping hand”.

Parts of the Eastern Fwy were closed for more than 12 hours on Wednesday as police tried to piece together the circumstances surrounding Mr Dyck’s tragic death.

A 27-year-old man was arrested after the accident. Picture: David Crosling

Sergeant Von Tunk told 3AW the driver had undergone drug and alcohol testing, including a blood test with results expected to take a couple of days.

Major Collision Investigation Unit officers processed the scene, which spanned at least 300m.

It is understood investigators are looking at speed, the road condition and the condition of the Toyota vehicle to determine what led to the fatal crash.

Sergeant Von Tunk said the incident happened just as the speed limit changed from 60km/h to 100km/h.

Significant damage was also caused to the worker’s vehicle during the incident.

Police at the scene on Wednesday morning. Picture: David Crosling

The fatality comes three years after four police officers were killed after intoxicated truckie Mohinder Singh ploughed into them on the side of the Eastern Freeway in April of 2020.

Officers Lynette Taylor, Kevin King and Constables Glen Humphris and Joshua Prestney were killed after they stopped to pull over Richard Pusey, who was clocked speeding at 149km per hour in his black Porsche.

Singh was later sentenced to 22 years behind bars.

Victoria’s road toll sits at 191, up 23.2 per cent from last year’s total of 155 lives lost, according to the Transport Accident Commission.

Anyone who witnessed the crash on Wednesday, with dashcam footage or information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers.