Man charged over policeman's death after he was killed in a memorial bike ride

A 21-year-old man is in custody after a Victorian police officer was hit by a car and killed while taking part in a group ride to commemorate police who died in the line of duty.

Victoria Police say the car was travelling along the Princes Highway near Orbost in the state’s east on Friday afternoon when it veered onto the opposite side of the road and struck Victor Kostiuk’s bike.

The 59-year-old was motorcycling with his son, Detective Senior Sergeant Felix Kostiuk at the time of the incident. He died at the scene.

Kostiuk was among 300 riders in the Wall to Wall Ride who set out from the Victoria Police Memorial in St Kilda Road, Melbourne, headed for Merimbula and then on to Canberra on Saturday.

He was a “well respected” expert in the field of preventing family violence and had also worked in CIU and homicide.

A Botanic Ridge man is in custody charged with one count of culpable driving, police said.

He is due to appear at Latrobe Valley Magistrates Court on Monday.