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Driver who crashed into police on the Eastern Freeway jailed for 22 years

Mohinder Singh guilty of culpable driving causing deaths of four police officers

One of Victoria’s worst truck crashes – and deadliest police-related incident – has seen the driver responsible jailed for 22 years.

Truck driver Mohinder Singh will be eligible for parole in 18 years and six months after the Eastern Freeway crash in Melbourne last year that killed constables Glen Humphris and Joshua Prestney, senior constable Kevin King and leading senior constable Lynette Taylor.

The 48-year-old pleaded guilty to eight charges, including culpable driving causing four deaths and drug trafficking.

On April 22, 2020 Singh veered into the freeway’s emergency lane and crashed into the officers, who had earlier pulled over a driver, Richard Pusey, for speeding.


How industry reacted to the deadly incident last year, here


The Supreme Court hears Singh was fatigued and under the influence of drugs, with a mental health deterioration manifesting in a psychosis and visions of the supernatural.

Justice Paul Coghlan takes into account ‘pressure’ from supervisor Simiona Tuteru and Singh’s ‘reluctance’ to drive but notes it was ultimately his choice to get behind the wheel.

“It is clear . . . that you knew you should not have been driving when under the influence,” Coghlan says.

He also gives short shrift to the defence claim of Singh driving over a fear of losing his job.

“In the circumstances that proposition is somewhat illusory – you were simply unfit to do the job and had little if any legitimate claim to keep your position as a truck driver.

“In the sense that you drove to keep your job, that decision was selfish.

“The decision to drive was nonetheless yours.”

Singh is acknowledged as being wholly remorseful for the incident that will have a lasting, ‘devastating impact’.

Tuteru, a Victorian manager at Connect Logistics, faces a hearing for manslaughter charges next month for his role in the lead-up to the incident.

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