Porsche driver 'took photos of deadly crash scene before fleeing'
A drug-affected, speeding driver who fled a crash scene in Melbourne’s inner east that left four police officers dead is expected to hand himself in this morning, police say.
At a press conference on Thursday morning, Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the driver of a Porsche 911 had been pulled over for speeding on the Eastern Freeway at Kew shortly after 4.50pm on Wednesday, roughly 50 minutes before the fatal crash at the same location.
He had tested positive for “some type of drug” after the officers conducted a fluid test, before fleeing the scene when a truck ploughed into the police officers and several vehicles, including the Porsche, at about 5.40pm.
Comm Ashton said the 41-year-old has an “extensive criminal history”.
“I understand that he is going to be attending one of our police stations this morning,” Comm Ashton said after making contact with him on Wednesday night.
The four on-duty police officers, reportedly one woman and three men, were killed after they were struck by the truck, which appeared to have moved from one of the traffic lanes to the emergency lane where the officers were.
‘Disgusting’ act after crash
Before fleeing the scene, Comm Ashton said the Porsche driver took “graphic” photos of the crash scene which have since been circulating on Facebook.
“There has been some images placed on Facebook that appear to have been taken by this individual at the scene, before he has left the scene,” he said.
“I would ask if anyone is finding photographs online, not to further circulate them. In fact we are talking to Facebook this morning about removing those images.”
He labelled the Porsche driver’s actions after the crash as “disgusting”.
Comm Ashton said two members of Victoria Police intercepted the Porsche, which was travelling at “excessive speed” in excess of 140km/h.
The two officers had stopped the Porsche and decided to impound it and requested two other officers assist them.
Comm Ashton said a truck then drove into the four officers, who weren’t in their vehicles, and made “considerable contact” with the Porsche.
The Porsche’s driver, who is understood not to have been injured in the crash, fled on foot, sparking a police manhunt, with Comm Ashton pleading for him to hand himself in on Wednesday night.
“This is a real tragedy,” the commissioner said shortly after the crash, saying it was the biggest loss of life for Victoria Police from one incident.
Comm Ashton said one of the four constables was senior while one of the non-senior members of the group had only recently joined Victoria Police.
Truck driver to face questioning throughout Thursday
The driver of the truck suffered a medical episode at the scene following the accident where he “blacked out” and was taken to hospital where he remained under police guard overnight.
Comm Ashton said blood was taken from the truck driver on arrival at hospital and will face police questioning throughout Thursday.
He doesn’t have a criminal history, Comm Ashton added.
Investigations into the crash continued throughout the night and are ongoing on Thursday morning with the homicide squad and the major collision investigation unit on scene.
The road remains closed, Comm Ashton said, and remains an active crime scene.
He pleaded for drivers with dashcam footage near the crash scene to come forward, and said police were now reviewing bodycam footage recovered from the officers killed.
The Department of Transport has also handed over footage from the freeway.
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