By Cam Lucadou-Wells
A Cranbourne truck driver is under police guard in hospital after four on-duty police officers were killed on Eastern Freeway in Kew on 22 April.
Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said the officers were killed after intercepting an allegedly speeding Porsche 911 in an emergency lane just after 5.30pm.
At the time, the Porsche was being impounded by police due to its driver testing positive to illicit drugs.
About 5.40pm, a refrigerated semi-trailer drove into the intercept scene at about 100km/h, Chief Comm Ashton said.
It had appeared to have moved from a freeway lane into the emergency lane a “short distance” before the crash, he said. It was “too early” to say if the truck driver’s actions were deliberate.
The truck driver had a “medical episode” after the crash, Chief Comm Ashton said.
“After the collision, the impact of that has caused him to black-out.”
He was taken to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries. He remained under police guard in hospital, and was expected to be interviewed by police on the morning of 23 April.
“We made sure we took a blood sample from him at the hospital.”
The truck driver didn’t have an extensive criminal history, Chief Comm Ashton said.
Any information to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestoppersvic.com.au
