Melbourne: Four Australian police officers were killed in the line of duty Wednesday. This happened when a speeding Indian-origin driver ploughed his truck into them. Police later said the driver apparently suffered a ‘medical episode’.
Truck driver Mohinder Singh Bajwa from Cranbourne suburb veered into the emergency lane from one of the freeway lanes, Wednesday. The vehicle then travelled a short distance at around 100 km per hour where the four police officers were standing. It ran over them, said the police chief for the state of Victoria.
Victorian Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton said two of the officers had intercepted a speeding Porsche car. They were standing in the emergency stopping lane. They had decided to impound the vehicle and had called for two more officers to assist them. The four police officers were out of their cars when the truck drove into the officers and the Porsche. The police officers were killed on the spot.
The Porsche was driven by a 41-year-old driver, Richard Pusey who fled the scene on foot. He has been accused of taking pictures of the crash and posting them on social media. Pusey is currently in police custody after he was arrested Thursday.
Flags are flying at half-mast across the state in honour of one female officer, and three male officers, one of whom only started work on Tuesday.
The deceased have been identified as Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney.
The truck driver was in police guard at in a local hospital. Police have raided his residence and were yet to reveal what they had found. Ashton said that police are yet to interview Bajwa who was not known to the police. He also did not have an any criminal history.
Bajwa suffered a ‘medical episode’, ‘which seemed to involve him blacking out’, Ashton said. It was unclear whether he experienced the episode before or after the accident or exactly what unfolded, he added. “We don’t know at this stage what has caused him to drive that truck into our police members,” he said.
Political leaders expressed their condolences to the fallen officers. Prime Minister Scott Morrison tweeted, “Terrible, heartbreaking news. My deepest condolences to their families, fellow officers and friends in this terrible time. “
AFP
