Identity of officer killed in 'heartbreaking' Red Cliffs crash revealed
The 25-year-old police officer who died following a collision in rural Victoria has been identified.
On Friday night at about 10pm, an unmarked police car and a ute were involved in a collision at Red Cliffs in north-west Victoria.
The male driver from the ute and a policewoman died at the scene.
On Saturday afternoon, Victoria Police identified the policewoman as Victoria Police Senior Constable Bria Joyce.
Police said her family would not be providing a statement at this time.
She was 25 years old and had been a police officer for six years.
The driver of the Nissan Navarra ute was a 23-year-old man from Cardross.
Snr Cons Joyce was driving along Kulkyne Way with her colleague, a male leading senior constable, at the time of the collision.
The officers had started a routine highway patrol shift at 6pm that night.
At a press conference on Saturday morning, Chief Commissioner Shane Patton said the policeman was taken to hospital in Mildura and then airlifted to Melbourne.
He was in a critical, but stable, condition.
Crash 'absolutely heartbreaking', police chief says
Police are investigating the collision and the exact circumstances surrounding the crash are still to be determined.
"I can say at this stage there is no indication of any attempt by the police vehicle to be intercepting anyone, no pursuit involved," Commissioner Patton said.
"It is a tragedy and absolutely heartbreaking."
Chief Commissioner Patton said it is believed the ute, a Nissan Navarra, veered into the path of the oncoming police vehicle.
A third vehicle was also involved in the collision, hitting the police vehicle from the rear.
Fortunately, the two adults and three children in the third vehicle were not seriously injured and were transferred to the hospital for assessment.
The Police Association Victoria said the impact of the tragedy would ripple through the entire police force.
"To the colleagues and friends of our fallen member, days like today are the toughest we face in policing. We are thinking of you, and we stand beside you always," Secretary Wayne Gatt said in a statement.
The crash comes just weeks before the two-year anniversary of the deaths of four officers in a crash on the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne.
With AAP
Do you have a story tip? Email: newsroomau@yahoonews.com.
You can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Twitter and download the Yahoo News app from the App Store or Google Play.
