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Two senior constables and two trainee officers have been identified as the four Victoria Police members killed in a truck crash on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway on Wednesday.
- Constable Glen Humphris and Constable Josh Prestney were on extended training placements
- Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor and Senior Constable Kevin King were considered veterans of the force
- Flags have been flown at half-mast in honour of the fallen officers
Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney died after being hit by a truck late yesterday afternoon.
It is the biggest loss of officer lives in a single event in Victoria Police's history.
Leading Senior Constable Taylor and trainee officer Constable Humphris pulled over a Porsche that was allegedly driving at 140 kilometres per hour along the freeway.
Senior Constable King and trainee officer Constable Prestney, who were stationed at Nunawading Highway Patrol, were called to help impound the sports car after the driver allegedly returned a positive drug test.
Shortly after they arrived, a refrigerated semi-trailer drove into the emergency lane, killing all four officers.
The truck driver was taken to hospital under police guard after having a medical episode and the driver of the Porsche, mortgage broker Richard Pusey, has been questioned by police after allegedly fleeing the scene.
"Our members didn't come to work that day, no doubt, expecting not to go home, their families wouldn't have waved them goodbye expecting them not to return," Police Association Victoria secretary Wayne Gatt said.
"It is deeply, deeply troubling for us to watch those families grieving."
Mr Gatt last night said they were "members who've had an incredibly short period of service and some members who you'd consider to be exceptionally long-serving veterans".
"This tragedy spans both extremes in that regard."
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, a full honours funeral will not go ahead in the near future.
The officers have been hailed as heroes by Premier Daniel Andrews and Prime Minister Scott Morrison extended his "deepest sympathies and condolences" to their families and colleagues.
"Every single member of Victoria Police put themselves in harm's way, every hour of every day in order to keep the rest of us safe," Mr Andrews this morning.
"Their commitment to others, their professionalism, their courage is without question. Yesterday, we had a tragic reminder of the risks, the dangers and the tragedy that that work can involve.
"On behalf of every single Victorian, I send the best wishes, the thoughts and prayers of all of us to the families of the four members of Victoria Police who died, keeping the rest of us safe. This is a terrible tragedy."
Mr Morrison said it was a reminder of the dangers officers faced every day.
"You stand between us and that danger every single day and we are deeply grateful for your service, deeply grateful for your sacrifice," he said.
"And to those families who are knowing nothing other than terrible grief today, we stand with you as much as we possibly can."
Mourners left flowers and messages of thanks at the Boroondara Police Station in Kew while Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton urged people to instead leave tributes online during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Landmarks across Victoria are expected to be lit up in blue tonight in honour of police officers.
Recruits, instructors and staff at the Victoria Police Academy observed a minute's silence for their fallen colleagues this morning.
Topics: police, law-crime-and-justice, death, disasters-and-accidents, road, melbourne-3000, kew-3101, vic
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