Truck driver’s daughter feared he would kill

The daughter of the truck driver jailed for killing four police officers in the Eastern Freeway tragedy gave her dad a grim warning before he left for work that day.

Mohinder Singh’s daughter said she warned her father not to go to work that day because she didn’t think he was fit to drive. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

The daughter of the truck driver jailed for killing four officers in the Eastern Freeway crash has revealed she told her dad to stay home that day because “I thought he was going to kill someone if he drove”.

Harpreet Bajwa, 21, said she had never seen her father, Mohinder Singh, behave the way he was in the hours before he was due to attend a meeting with his boss, Simiona Tuteru, at his work on April 22 last year.

She said he was rambling about seeing ghosts, aliens and witches.

“I told him to stay home because he was acting in a manner that I haven’t dealt with before in regards to him,” she said.

“His eyes were racing, and his pupils were bigger, and he seemed pretty terrified, and couldn’t stop speaking.

“He kept repeating himself. I knew something was wrong with him that day.

“I told him that he shouldn’t be going to that meeting that day as I didn’t think he was fit to drive. I told him to stay home.

“I thought he was going to kill someone if he drove.”

Connect Logistics manager Simiona Tuteru is facing manslaughter charges over the Eastern Freeway tragedy that killed four police officers. Picture: NCA NewsWire / David Crosling

But she said her father ignored her concerns because he feared he would lose his job.

“He said he absolutely needed to otherwise he would get fired,” she said.

“He didn’t think he had a choice.”

Ms Bajwa revealed her conversation with her father for the first time while giving evidence in the Melbourne Magistrates Court in the case of Mr Tuteru, who is facing 82 charges, including four counts of manslaughter over the deadly crash.

Police allege Mr Tuteru, 49, the Victorian manager of Connect Logistics, was aware of Singh’s deteriorating mental state in the lead-up to the deadly smash, but continued to get him to drive.

On the day of the crash, Ms Bajwa said her father went to the Lyndhurst truck depot to have a meeting with Mr Tuteru after some of his colleague’s had raised concerns about his ability to drive.

Senior Constable Kevin King.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor.

Constable Glen Humphris.

Constable Josh Prestney.

She said she believed he never intended to work that day because he wore a knitted jumper and jeans, instead of his usual hi-vis work attire.

But police allege after Singh met with Mr Tuteru about 3.30pm and raised concerns he wasn’t fit to drive, they prayed together for about 44 minutes, before Mr Tuteru insisted he do a single load delivery to Thomastown.

Charge sheets reveal that despite Mr Tuteru receiving accredited training in fatigue management, he “caused or encouraged” Singh to get behind the wheel while knowing he was “fatigued, impaired by drugs and unfit to drive”.

Other charges he is facing include driving a heavy vehicle for more than the maximum prescribed time, and dishonestly obtaining financial advantage after he allegedly filed time sheets in fake names to hide the fact he worked in excess of permitted hours.

Mr Tuteru has not entered a plea to the charges, but at an earlier hearing told the court he would fight the allegations.

Singh, 47, was last month jailed for 22 years after pleading guilty to four counts of culpable driving causing the deaths of Victoria Police officers Lynette Taylor, Glen Humphris, Josh Prestney and Kevin King.

The police officers were standing in the emergency lane, after intercepting millionaire mortgage broker Richard Pusey for speeding in his Porsche, when a drug-addled Singh ploughed into them.

Singh’s wife Amarjit and his son Gurdeep were also called to give evidence about Singh’s “erratic” behaviour leading up to the crash.

The hearing, which will run all week before returning on June 2, will allow magistrate Luisa Bazzani to determine if there is sufficient evidence to order Mr Tuteru to stand trial in the Supreme Court.

The court heard Singh would be called to give evidence against his boss next month.