Constable Josh Prestney’s family pays heartbreaking tribute after Eastern Freeway tragedy
The family of Constable Josh Prestney said they are “broken” with the pain of their loss, penning an emotional tribute after the young cop’s tragic death in the Eastern Freeway crash that claimed the lives of four police officers.
Police & Courts
Don't miss out on the headlines from Police & Courts. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The family of fallen Constable Josh Prestney said they are “broken” with the pain of his death.
His brother First Constable Alexander Prestney has shared his heart break following the tragic death of his “protector”.
“We have all lost an amazing, bright light in our community; a man for others,” First Constable Alexander Prestney said.
“My heart breaks that we are without my brother, my protector, my mate.
“He didn’t follow in my footsteps on the path to Victoria Police, he walked beside me.”
Alexander Prestney is 18 months younger than brother Josh but started in the force before him.
He presented brother Joshua with his police badge when he graduated in December last year, a proud moment for their parents Andrew and Belinda.
“I’m so proud and honoured that he looked to me to help continue his journey as a police officer, just as I looked to him as a big brother,” First Constable Prestney said.
“Keep him with you wherever you go, as he endeavoured to protect not just those in need, but anyone.
“I will always carry you with me - on the course, behind the drums and out on patrol.”
Belinda Prestney also described Josh as her protector and said he was a “best mate” to his father Andrew and an irreplaceable “offsider” to his brother Alex.
“The thought of never hearing his guitar playing throughout the house, never sharing our sporting adventures together again, never going to the football with him again, never laughing over silly family jokes with him again breaks our hearts and fills us with a pain that has taken our breath away,” she wrote in a statement.
Precious family photos show Constable Prestney embracing his brother, a First Constable, at his Victoria Police graduation last December.
“The proudest moment of our lives was when Alex presented Josh with his badge,” his mum said.
“We cannot fathom the circumstances that have led us to this point.
“Josh and Alex were only 18 months apart in age and grew up doing everything together. Alex has lost his best friend, big brother and offsider.”
Constable Prestney was deeply in love with his partner, Stacey, who described him as her “angel”.
“They were perfect for one another and had made plans for their future together. Our heart bleeds for her,” his mother wrote.
Constable Prestney came into the world like a “bright light” in 1991 and graduated from Xavier College in 2009.
“From the start he was a creative, insightful, loving and genuine soul,” his mum wrote.
“He was blessed with many talents that he nurtured and developed with persistence and drive.”
Constable Prestney was a talented guitarist and a passionate Collingwood supporter.
“He had many animated discussions about players and the statistics of the game with his dad Andrew and brother Alex,” his mum said.
“He cried all the way home after the 2002 Grand Final loss, as a 10-year-old.
“He was the same way with basketball, playing as a junior and becoming an avid Melbourne United and LA Lakers fan.
“Josh loved competing in triathlons, having completed 2 full Ironman events. He loved his long distance running and cycling, especially when doing this with his dad, with whom he often travelled to compete.”
Mrs Prestney said her son found his calling with Victoria Police after seeing how much his brother loved his job.
Constable Josh Prestney’s brother Alex shared a tribute to the public Facebook page Victoria Police in Memoriam.
He thanked those who had reached out to him in support and wrote: “My heart breaks that we are without my brother, my protector, my mate”.
“He didn’t follow in my footsteps on the path to Victoria Police, he walked beside me.”
Alex Prestney, who presented his brother Josh with his police badge, wrote: “He learned as much as he could at any time, and I’m so proud and honoured that he looked to me to help continue his journey as a police officer, just as I looked to him as a big brother.”
PORSCHE DRIVER’S HOUSE VANDALISED AFTER CRASH
The home of the Porsche driver at the centre of the Kew police crash has been vandalised.
The word “DIE” was spray painted on the black roller door of mortgage broker Richard Pusey’s Fitzroy home overnight.
His wife reportedly phoned police for help and complained that they took too long to arrive.
Pusey has spent two nights in custody over his role in the Eastern Freeway crash that claimed the life of four police officers.
Yesterday a court heard the Porsche driver at the centre of the horror crash that killed four police officers could be heard saying “absolutely amazing” while filming one of the dying officers groaning.
Further horrific details of Mr Pusey’s alleged actions following the fatal crash were read out as he faced Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Friday.
Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton later weighed in on the allegations heard in court.
“In the Victorian community we have a lot of fantastic people in this community, but sometimes events occur when you are reminded evil walks among us and this has been one of those days,” Mr Ashton said.
Victoria's police minister Lisa Neville weighed in, saying: “Based on the alleged reports I have heard on Friday, it is completely sickening and disgusting, there is almost no words for it,” she said.
“I so hope the families haven’t heard it, that is my hope.”
Secretary of the Police Association Wayne Gatt said the driver’s behaviour was “soulless”.
“This week, four police heroes died and one coward lived,” Sgt Gatt said.
“It is soulless. That is all I will say.”
As Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor lay pinned between the Porsche and truck groaning and calling for help, Mr Pusey, 41, allegedly filmed her, saying “There you go. Amazing. Absolutely amazing.”
He then allegedly continued on his disgusting rant: “All I wanted to do was go home and have my sushi. Now you’ve f---ed my f---ing car.”
He told detectives he had gone off to urinate on the grass when he heard the “bang”.
Homicide squad Detective Senior Constable Aaron Price told the court Leading Senior Constable Taylor activated her body-worn camera at 5.06pm when intercepting Mr Pusey after he was clocked doing 149kmh in a 100kmh zone.
While sitting on the side rail of the freeway, Mr Pusey then returned a positive swab for ice and cannabis, he said.
The officers called for back-up, with Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Joshua Prestney arriving at 5.35pm.
Both police vehicles had their emergency blue and red lights activated, Det Price said.
Mr Pusey then walked a short distance from his vehicle as he needed to urinate, the court heard.
Shortly after Mr Pusey was pulled over, a truck being driven by Mohinder Singh Bajwa ploughed into the four responding officers — Senior Constable Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Joshua Prestney — killing them all.
“The accused heard what he described as ‘just bang’,” Det Price said.
The driver of the truck remained in medical care in hospital on Friday.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said forensic medical officers were reassessing his condition this afternoon.
“We are hoping to have clearance to interview him later today,” Mr Ashton said.
Det Price said Sen-Constable Taylor’s body-worn camera captured the collision at 5.42pm.
“At this point (Lynette) can be heard calling out for help,” he said. “The accused failed to render assistance.”
Instead, Mr Pusey allegedly removed two phones from his car, before using one of them to film the scene.
And when a witness asked him to leave after seeing him filming, Mr Pusey allegedly responded: “That’s my f---ing car, mate.”
He then hitched a ride back to Fitzroy with a motorist who had stopped at the scene, calling his wife on the way to tell her what happened.
The court heard Mr Pusey later contacted an AFP officer he knew to tell her, before sending her the videos from the crash site.
At 8.28pm, he allegedly sent another associate a photo of the crime scene, joking that he “hoped to get out of the fine”.
Mr Pusey has been charged with attempting to conceal or destroy evidence after allegedly presenting an iPhone to detectives that had been restored to factory settings.
His second phone, believed to be the one he used to film the crime scene, was later seized when police raided his Fitzroy home.
Asked why he didn’t give up the correct phone, Mr Pusey told detectives that the last time he was arrested, his phone containing all of his business material was seized.
Det Price said earlier reports Mr Pusey posted the video to social media were incorrect.
In his police interview, Mr Pusey also “described in detail”, Det Price said, where each police officer lay in the aftermath and what he thought their injuries were.
Det Price ended his court evidence by paying tribute to his fallen colleagues.
“If I may, your honour, take a moment to pay my respects to the victims,” he said, before silence fell upon the court.
Mr Pusey, who entered the courtroom flanked by two custody officers at 10.47am, did not speak throughout the hearing.
He glanced towards a woman, believed to be his partner, who was sitting in the front row.
She did not comment as she left court. He was remanded to reappear in court in July.
Mr Pusey was on Thursday charged by homicide squad detectives after allegedly fleeing the scene of the crash.
He was out on bail and allegedly high on drugs when his Porsche 911 was stopped by police.
Mr Pusey was interviewed by police late into the night and charged with a range of offences, including destruction of evidence and three counts of committing an indictable offence while on bail.
His other charges are for speeding, reckless conduct endangering life, failing to remain after a drug test, failing to render assistance, failing to exchange detail and possessing a drug of dependence.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton on Thursday said it was “disgusting” that pictures of the crash scene had been shared.
“When I’m spending time with the family members of those deceased officers I can tell you it will absolutely disgust them,” he said.
“To leave the scene is a very, very low act.
“If I wasn’t wearing the uniform of chief commissioner, I would give you far more colourful language.”
DESPERATE SEARCH FOR DASHCAM FOOTAGE
Police are desperate for dashcam footage of the crash, particularly of the truck, as there are no CCTV cameras on that section of the freeway.
The footage will be crucial to piecing together the truck driver’s movements, including in the moments before the tragedy.
Truck driver Mr Singh Bajwa was yet to be interviewed on Thursday night.
Victoria Police said he was expected to remain in hospital for a number of days.
Mr Pusey, who runs Switch Now Home Loans, was taken into custody at Melbourne West Police Station on Thursday morning after more than 12 hours as a wanted fugitive.
He spent the day being quizzed by homicide squad detectives before being escorted to his multimillion-dollar Fitzroy home in handcuffs.
Investigators removed bags of evidence and took photos inside his garage before Mr Pusey was whisked away in a police car, making no comment to the media scrum.
Mr Pusey was on bail at the time of the crash for unlawful assault and theft charges.
He was due before Collingwood Neighbourhood Justice Centre this month.
Mr Pusey was also on summons to face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a criminal damage charge in June.
Victoria Police Deputy Commissioner Shane Patton said on Friday morning that further charges could be laid over the photos of the crash.
“We’re still exploring whether there are offences committed under the Telecommunications Act,” he told a television morning program on Friday.
It’s not clear who was responsible for the post, or the sharing of the photographs.
Mr Patton said the truck driver was still unfit to be interviewed.
“We don’t know whether that will be today or in the next couple of days,” Mr Patton said.
“The families are obviously shattered and need answers,” he added.
In 2016, Mr Pusey was caught on camera wishing death on a cancer patient in an ugly business deal gone wrong.
It is alleged he failed to pay numerous contractors for work on his Mitcham home and lashed out at the wife of a contractor days after she underwent a double mastectomy.
“Get some more f---ing cancer you stupid f---ing s---. I hope you f---ing die,” he screamed at the woman.
The Herald Sun has been told Mr Pusey had previously been banned from Whitehorse Council municipal premises.
He had also been known to members of parliament in the area because of his robust airing of grievances.
“He’d been known for sending correspondence to the council that sent up red flags,” a police source said.
A Melbourne mortgage broker described him as “an absolute d---head” who would go to extreme lengths to get his way.
“He was a playboy, living the fast life,” the broker said.
A construction worker who also crossed paths with Mr Pusey years ago said “he is smart, he knows how to get out of things”.
Mr Pusey bragged online about his high-powered Porsche and has a YouTube channel dedicated to footage of his thrill rides.
He boasted about his Porsche in a bizarre review of SkyBus on a Tripadvisor website in 2018
“I like to drive behind the bus in my Porsche because it doesn’t have Wi-Fi,” he wrote.
“I set the cruise control so as to allow me to social network and all that cool new-age type stuff that’s all the rage.
“Me and my Porsche enjoy the day out doing this activity.”
Investigators will probe whether he was behind the wheel of a similar Porsche captured on dashcam footage speeding on the Eastern Freeway in late March.
Last September he raked in $4.4 million on the sale of a historic Guildford Lane property in the CBD.
Mr Pusey paid $2.8 million for the property, near Melbourne Central, which he leased in 2017 to Cat Cafe — where cats lived on site.
POLICE ON HOLD AT HOSPITAL
The truck driver who drove into four police officers was on Thursday night still unfit to be interviewed in hospital.
Detectives were still trying to determine the cause of the tragedy that occurred when Mohinder Singh Bajwa drove his chicken truck into the police in the emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway.
A blood sample has been taken from the father of two, who was expected to be in hospital for several days under police guard.
Immediately after the carnage, Mr Bajwa blacked out and was treated by paramedics.
Witnesses described the scene as “horrific”.
Cab driver Lou Bougias was about 50m ahead of the highway patrol units when the collision unfolded in his rear view mirror.
He quickly reversed his taxi and rendered assistance at the scene.
“It was carnage,” he told the Herald Sun.
“I saw everything flying. The debris stretched from the emergency lane to the other side on the median strip.”
Mr Bougias was one of the first on the scene along with an off duty doctor, aged in his 20s, who was on his way home from a shift at Austin Hospital.
The group of people first at the scene came together and desperately tried to keep Leading Constable Lynette Taylor alive.
A man held a blanket up to protect the female officer’s identity while another diverted traffic, which began to build up behind the scene.
Others pulled the fluoro-vest-wearing male truck driver out of his cabin, with sources at the scene saying he was a “blubbering mess”.
Mr Bajwa was seen later pacing the emergency lane making a phone call.
Eyewitness Tim, who did not wish to reveal his surname, was driving outbound on the freeway minutes after the fatal crash.
“I’ve never seen anything that bad,” he said.
“People were surrounding the Porsche trying to help the female who was on the bonnet.
“It made you feel sick in your stomach.”
Mr Bajwa’s neighbour in Cranbourne described the truckie as a “good guy”.
“I’ve lived beside him for 15 years. He’s a good guy, we’ve never had any problems,” the neighbour said. “It’s a horrible, horrible tragedy and the investigation will find out the answers. I just feel sorry for (the family) they didn’t ask for this.”
Anyone who saw the crash is urged to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
HOW HORROR CRASH UNFOLDED
Police are investigating why the truck veered across three lanes of the Eastern Freeway moments before ploughing into the four officers.
The Herald Sun has been told the refrigerated truck was in the third lane of the freeway before swerving into the emergency lane, striking and killing the four officers.
The possibility of the smash being deliberate was not being ruled out.
The homicide squad is investigating.
Police are desperate for dashcam footage of the crash, particularly of the truck, as there are no CCTV cameras on that section of the freeway.
The footage will be crucial to piecing together the truck driver’s movements, including in the moments before the tragedy.
Police will also look at other factors, including fatigue, mobile phone use, distraction or a medical episode.
There are unconfirmed reports he avoided injury in the crash because he had walked away to urinate.
Items seized inside either his or the truck driver’s home could prove crucial to the investigation.
Specialist crash investigators on Thursday carried out a number of skid tests on the freeway.
It remained closed to traffic until early afternoon, as police carefully seized every last bit of evidence.
Both the truck — owned by Connect Logistics — and Porsche will undergo extensive forensic analysis.
The witness testimony of several first-responders — including an off-duty doctor and off-duty paramedic — will be examined in detail.
These and other witness accounts will be vital in determining how far before the crash scene the driver moved into the lane where the police were working.
TIMELINE OF ALLEGATIONS
WEDNESDAY, APRIL 22
4.30pm: Police detect a black Porsche 911, driven by Richard Pusey, travelling inbound on the Eastern Fwy at 149kmh
4.51pm: Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Constable Glen Humphris activate their lights and sirens and pull into the emergency lane behind Mr Pusey.
5.06pm: Leading Sen-Constable Taylor activates her body worn camera to start recording while she is having a conversation with Mr Pusey. After returning a positive preliminary breath test, he was asked to get out of the vehicle, where he sat on the side rail and a further test was conducted that showed methamphetamines and cannabis in his system.
5.35pm: Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney arrive at the scene, parking behind the other officers’ vehicle. All four officers were standing outside their vehicles in the emergency lane.
5.42pm: Leading Sen-Constable Taylor’s body worn camera records the Volvo prime mover, towing a double axel trailer, crash into the cars and fell the officers. Mr Pusey at this point had walked a short distance to grassland to urinate when he claimed he heard a “bang” and turned around to see “my car being pushed with the truck on top of it”.
5.44pm: Mr Pusey captured walking up to Leading Sen-Constable Taylor and does not render assistance. He continues to walk around, filming the scene.
5.45pm: Mr Pusey stands in front of Leading Sen-Constable Taylor and film her groaning, while he says his vile rant, including: “There you go. Amazing.”
5.52pm: The policewoman’s body-worn camera captures civilians, who were disgusted by him filming, asking Mr Pusey to leave, not knowing his alleged involvement. He responded: “That’s my f---ing car, mate.” He soon after hitches a ride with a man, who does not know his involvement, to the corner of Smith St and Alexandra Pde, Fitzroy. He calls his wife and told her what he had seen.
6.30pm: Mr Pusey contacts an AFP officer he knows, telling her what happened. He texted her the video.
8.28pm: Mr Pusey sends a photo of the crime scene showing two dead police officers to an associate. They sent messages back and forth.
Between 10 and 11pm: Mr Pusey calls Fitzroy police station. When they asked him to attend in person, he said “I appreciate that” but “I just couldn’t”. He then sent an email to a police officer he knew, detailing a summary of what he believed to have happened. He then went to bed.
THURSDAY, APRIL 23
9.40am: Mr Pusey attends West Melbourne police station with his lawyer.
2.50pm: After hours of questioning, Mr Pusey was officially arrested. Wearing handcuffs, he was taken from the station to his Fitzroy home.
3.39pm: Police execute search warrant at his home, allegedly seizing items including an iPhone and a small quantity of ice.
11.42pm: A media release is distributed to say Mr Pusey had been charged with nine offences, including driving at a dangerous speed, reckless conduct endangering life and failing to render assistance.
FRIDAY, APRIL 24
10.47am: Mr Pusey is brought into Melbourne Magistrates Court, flanked by two custody officers. He was remanded to reappear in court in July.
MORE ON THE EASTERN FREEWAY CRASH