The four Victorian police officers tragically killed in the Eastern Freeway crash have been identified as Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor, Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney. Their deaths mark the deadliest day in Victoria Police History.
The officers were tragically killed on impact after a semi-trailer ploughed into the back of their vehicles on April 22 in Kew, an inner-Melbourne suburb.
Senior Constable Taylor was a stationed at the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section. Constable Humphries was doing his Probationary Constable Extended Training Scheme (PCET) at Collingwood and undertaking a placement in the Road Policing Drug and Alcohol Section. Senior Constable King was stationed at Nunawading Highway Patrol. Constable Prestney was doing his PCET at Boroondara and undertaking a placement with Nunawading Highway Patrol. He was just 28 and graduated from the police academy late last year.
His grandmother, Eliza Anderson, took to Facebook to post a heartfelt tribute. "We were so proud of you. God bless Josh. Miss you forever," she wrote.
An outpouring of support has flooded Melbourne, with people tying blue ribbons to their fences in solidarity of the fallen officers. Flowers have been laid outside police stations as a memorial.
"It is an unimaginable tragedy," Victoria Police Minister Lisa Neville said. "They're Victorian heroes."
An online condolence book will soon be launched to allow mourners to pay their respects to four police officers killed by a runaway truck on Melbourne's Eastern Freeway.
Our thoughts are with their families and friends.
