Eastern Freeway crash: Trucking company worker arrested, charged with manslaughter

A man has been arrested and charged with four counts of manslaughter over the horrifying crash on the Eastern Freeway in Melbourne on April 22, which killed four police officers.Detectives arrested the 49-year-old man in Lyndhurst at about 9:20am on Saturday.
This evening, Victoria Police announced he had been charged, and said he was expected to appear before an out of sessions hearing before the end of the night.
Lynette Taylor, Glen Humphris, Joshua Prestney and Kevin King were killed on duty after police intercepted a Porsche, which was allegedly travelling at more than 140km/h.
All four officers were standing in the emergency lane of the freeway, deciding to impound the car, when a truck drove into them.
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The driver of the Porsche, 41-year-old Richard Pusey, has since been charged with nine offences, which include driving at a dangerous speed, reckless conduct endangering life, and failing to render assistance.
He allegedly verbally abused one of the officers, Senior Constable Taylor, after the crash, before fleeing the scene.
The driver of the truck, Mohinder Singh Bajwa, was charged with four counts of culpable driving causing death after a joint investigation by the Major Collision Investigative Unit and the Homicide Squad.
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The trucking company, Connect Logistics, has faced intense scrutiny in the wake of the tragedy.
In May, Victoria police travelled to New South Wales and raided the company’s head office in Riverstone, seizing a number of documents, including log books.
New South Wales Police then penalised Connect Logistics for a string of safety breaches, including truck defects and the use of overworked and fatigued drivers.
According to Seven News Melbourne, the man who was arrested on Saturday morning is the company’s Victoria manager.
Mr Singh has apologised for the officers’ deaths. He spoke via a statement released by his lawyer in early May.
“Mr Singh is genuinely sorry and saddened that four people have lose their lives as a result of the collision,” the short statement reads.
“He is acutely aware of the impact upon the families, friends and work colleagues of those that lost their lives.”
He did not apply for bail when he faced court, and is due to return for a committal mention on October 1.
Funerals have been held for all four officers. A state memorial service will take place when coronavirus measures are lifted.