Victoria election: Questions on near-fatal crash blocked by Daniel Andrews 17 times

Daniel Andrews has refused to explain why his account of a near-fatal collision between his family’s car and a 15-year-old cyclist differs from the victim’s.

Daniel Andrews has shut down 17 consecutive questions relating to a near-fatal collision between his family’s car and a 15-year-old cyclist, refusing to explain why his ­account of the incident differs from that of the victim.

On the second official day of Victoria’s election campaign, the Premier faced renewed questioning over the January 2013 incident, after the Herald Sun revealed Ryan Meuleman, now 24, had engaged lawyers.

Then opposition leader Mr ­Andrews and his wife Catherine were holidaying in the Mornington Peninsula town of Blairgowrie with their three children, and had just turned off Melbourne Road and into residential Ridley St when they collided with Mr Meuleman, who had been riding along a perpendicular bike path.

The teen sustained a punctured lung, broken ribs, internal bleeding, was left with 10 per cent of his spleen. He spent 11 days in hospital.

The victim of a car accident in which Daniel Andrews’ wife was involved, Ryan Meuleman, stands on the spot where he was hit while riding his bike. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

In 2017, Mr Andrews responded to questions about the crash during a lengthy press conference, after it was revealed police had failed to breath test Ms Andrews, who said she was driving at the time.

Mr Meuleman’s legal team last month requested ­access to documents he signed in the aftermath of the crash.

Asked on Thursday whether he had anything to say to Mr Meuleman, Mr Andrews said: “I’ve canvassed these matters in great detail and I’ve got no further comment to make.”

Mr Meuleman told the Herald Sun that in the immediate aftermath of the crash, Mr and Ms ­Andrews were “yelling at each other” and were slow in helping him. Asked to respond to this claim, Mr Andrews said: “As I said, I’ve gone through the facts of these matters in great detail, on numerous occasions, and I’ve got nothing further to say.”

The Premier gave near identical answers to further questions regarding the timing of the story, any concern over potential legal action, whether he stood by previous comments that he would be happy for the police statements from him and Ms Andrews to be released, whether he was concerned about Mr Meuleman’s welfare, whether he would be prepared to meet Mr Meuleman, and whether he was concerned his ­refusal to comment might appear unsympathetic.

Ryan Meuleman after his accident.

He again repeated that he had “nothing further to add” when it was put to him that Mr Meuleman’s account of having been riding his sister’s bike “very slowly” along a “stretch of path where it’s difficult to pick up any speed” was at odds with the Premier’s 2017 claims that the cyclist had been “moving at speed” and had “absolutely T-boned” the family’s Ford Territory.

A witness to the crash has also spoken, remembering the incident as a “big hit” and saying the then-Victorian opposition leader was focused on his wife and kids rather than helping the injured 15-year-old cyclist.

Witness Jane Crittenden told the Herald Sun “they had hit this child who was lying on the road” and did not “remember them helping”.

“No. I don’t remember them helping … they were probably quite clearly concerned about their kids … I don’t ever remember them being down on their hands and knees doing too much. I think he (Andrews) would have been focusing on his children and his wife,” Ms Crittenden said.

Ms Andrews campaigned alongside her husband on Wednesday, but was absent from the Premier’s campaign bus visit to Melbourne’s Northern Hospital on Thursday.

“She was never going to be here today. She’s working today. She’s got a day job,” Mr Andrews said.

With Owen Leonard