Police check if dead police officers targeted by truckie

Victoria Police has been investig­ating whether a deliberate act led to the freeway disaster in which four officer­s died.

Emergency services at the scene where four police officers were hit and killed by a truck as they were dealing with a speeding Porsche on the Eastern Freeway. Picture: AAP

Victoria Police has been investig­ating whether a deliberate or drug-related act led to Wednesday’s Melbourne freeway disaster in which four officer­s died.

Deputy Police Commissioner Shane Patton said the potential for a deliberate act was one of multiple lines of inquiry by homicide and major collision investigators, who have extracted GPS data and forensi­c material from the semi-trailer involved.

Mr Patton said investigators were trying to work out why the driver, Mohinder Singh Bajwa, alleged­ly veered across “a lane or a couple of lanes’’ and crashed into three cars, killing the officers.

Mohinder Singh Bajwar.

He said investigators were exploring­ all options in what will be one of Australia’s most thorough­ road disaster reconstructions, which will also include scrutiny of driver phone records.

The force has rejected rumours that Mr Bajwa, who drives for Connect Logistics, had been pulled over by police for speeding in the period before the crash occurred.

Melbourne’s Herald Sun report­ed on Friday that an ice pipe was recovered by police from the truck after the incident, but police have not commented on this.

Mr Patton told The Weekend Australian: “We had reports from eyewitnesses early on that there was a crossover of a number of lanes. Which is why we are particularly concerned (about) what caused that to happen. I can’t confirm­ that other than some eyewitness accounts. We are not saying­ this is a deliberate act but we are not saying it isn’t.’’

The crash scene on the Eastern Freeway at Kew, about 7km east of Melbourne’s CBD, appears to show three sets of skid marks, althou­gh one or more of these may already have been on the road.

The first is a heavy set of truck skid marks in the second lane, followed­ soon after by further skid marks in the emergency lane and then evidence of one of the police cars being pushed across several lanes of the freeway.

The Weekend Australian is not suggesting that Mr Bajwa deliberately caused the crash, but is rather ­ reporting police procedure when dealing with multiple fatal­ities, which involves ruling out all possibilities, and eventually determining the reasons for the crash.

Mr Bajwa has not been interviewed by detectives; he reportedly blacked out after the crash. Any medical condition he was suffering from has not been revealed.

The accident occurred after Porsche-driving mortgage broker Richard Pusey was stopped by police after allegedly travelling at up to 149km/h and testing positive to ice and marijuana.

The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Friday that Mr Pusey was urinating by the side of the road when the truck hit the three cars, sparing him injury.

The court also heard that Mr Pusey, 41, had allegedly filmed a dying officer and declared at the scene: “All I wanted to do was go home and have my sushi.”

Two of the four police officers killed had initially pulled Mr Pusey over, then two more arrived to help impound the $150,000 Porsche­.

Killed were Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable­ Joshua Prestney.

Todd Robinson, the partner of Constable Humphris, yesterday praised the officer’s community service.

“He was a very infectious person. He loved helping people and being supportive of the community,” Mr Robinson said.

Mr Pusey faces nine charges, includin­g failing to render assistance, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and three counts of committing an indictable offence­ while on bail.

No charges have been laid against the truck driver.

Mr Patton said it was normal for all possible causes of a crash to be investigated thoroughly.

“All we are simply saying is we’ve got to establish the fact a truck travelling at speed has veered across a lane or lanes and caused four of our police officers to be tragically killed,’’ he said.

“We are not saying this is deliberate, (or) it’s negligent, we’re not saying it’s reckless, we’re saying we’ve got to establish what is the causation.’’

Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton has unloaded­ on Mr Pusey.

While he said his overwhelming view of the community was positive, the road smash had been horrific.

“Sometimes events occur when you are reminded that evil walks among us,’’ Mr Ashton said. “And this has been one of those days.’’

Four small funerals for the officers will take place next month, with a bigger memorial service to be held after the coronavirus pandemic­ is over.