Police seek truck driver medical as friend pays tribute to fallen officer Josh Prestney

Victoria Police hope Mohinder Singh Bajwa, still in hospital, will be well enough to be interviewed on Friday afternoon.

Police are to interview the driver of the truck that struck and killed four police officers in Melbourne. Picture: Mark Stewart

Victoria Police are seeking a medical assessment of the truck driver who allegedly killed four Victoria Police officers on Melbourne’s Eastern Freeway on Wednesday evening.

Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said it was hoped that Mohinder Singh Bajwa would be well enough to be interviewed Friday afternoon.

He is in hospital, having blacked out after the smash.

Mr Ashton said this would give police greater clarity on what had happened when the truck hit several cars, killing the four officers.

It was the worst loss of life in a single event in Victorian policing history.

“We are still feeling that loss very, very heavily,” Mr Ashton said.

He said that four small services would be held for the dead that would be livestreamed.

A larger memorial service will be held for the four dead after the COVID-19 crisis passes.

On the timing of the large memorial, Mr Ashton said: “I don’t want to put a date on when it would be.”

“As soon as it’s possible.”

He said some toxicology reports had been returned and the force had extracted vital information from the truck’s GPS.

But he was not in a position to discuss it until the driver was interviewed.

‘Brave, devoted’: tribute to fallen cop

It comes as a friend of Victoria Police officer Josh Prestney described the “unfathomable loss” of the young man, who he described as brave, empathetic and devoted.

Rob Larson said he met Mr Presttney in 2014 after first meeting his older brother Alex, who’s also a police officer, at Camp America two years.

He stayed with the Prestneys when he first arrived in Australia for a six-month-trip and felt extremely honoured to be included in their family unit.

Constable Joshua Prestney.

“Not only did I learn about their family, their traditions and culture, but they also went out of their way to make me feel incredibly welcomed and loved,” he said.

“Josh’s dad, Andrew, cooked me a traditional American Thanksgiving dinner on Thanksgiving.”

On Wednesday night Mr Preston was killed along with three other Victoria Police officers in a horror crash on the Eastern Freeway near Kew.

Mr Larson told The Australian he spent lots of time with Mr Prestney in 2014 and 15 with the pair bonding over Kobe Bryant and the Lakers, playing the video game Mario Kart and walking the family dog Lenny.

“He was caring, kind, loyal, funny, witty, strong-minded,” he said.

“He was an athlete, a musician.”

Mr Larson said he wasn’t surprised at all when he learnt Mr Prestney decided to become a Victoria Police officer.

“His commitment, bravery, empathy and devotion to helping others made it a perfect fit,” he said.

Mr Larson said Mr Prestney’s older brother Alex was one of the groomsmen at his wedding in September 2019, with his parents Andrew and Belinda also attending.

The youngest Prestney was unable to come to the wedding due to his training at the police academy, but FaceTimed the prospective groom a couple of days before.

Mr Larson said the family were very close and cooked, travelled and participated in triathlons together.

“They are an incredible family and the loss of Josh is unfathomable,” he said.

“He had so much of his life yet to live and we had discussed him coming to visit in America.”