A man is alleged to have shouted abuse at a police officer as she lay dying underneath a truck on an Australian motorway.

Leading Senior Constable Lynette Taylor was one of four police officers who had been dealing with the man after he was stopped for speeding along Melbourne's Eastern Freeway earlier this week.

All four officers were out of their vehicles when they were hit by an oncoming truck and killed.

"Their names will forever be remembered, their service honoured, and their memories celebrated," Chief Commissioner Graham Ashton.



🔗https://t.co/RbaLyc9dm6 pic.twitter.com/0ga0KoA7Kw — Victoria Police (@VictoriaPolice) April 23, 2020

The man - Richard Pusey, 41 - had allegedly been driving his Porsche at a speed of 149kmph (92mph) while under the influence of methylamphetamine and cannabis before he was pulled over in an emergency stopping lane.

Appearing at a court in Melbourne, the mortgage broker faced nine charges relating to his driving and alleged drug use. No plea was reported.


According to a report by the Australian Broadcasting Corp, Senior Constable Aaron Price told the court that Pusey had walked to the grassed side of the emergency stopping lane to urinate just before the truck struck the officers and the vehicles.

"All I wanted to do was go home and eat my sushi, you've f***** my f****** car," footage allegedly recorded by Leading Senior Constable Taylor's body camera captured Mr Pusey saying, as she lay pinned under the truck.

Melbourne newspaper The Age reported that a pathologist has told police it was likely she was still alive at that point.

Pusey then fled the scene but contacted police later.

Image: Police are waiting to interview the driver of the truck

Image: Four police officers - three men and a woman - died in the crash

There had been claims that Pusey posted photos of the crash scene on social media but Senior Constable Price said there was no evidence for this, ABC reported.

Pusey had two phones on him at the time but only gave one to the police, which had been restored to factory settings, the officer told the court.

He was remanded in custody until July.

Police are still waiting to interview the driver of the truck, who has been in hospital since suffering a "medical episode" after the collision.

As well as Leading Senior Constable Taylor, the other victims were Constable Glen Humphris, Senior Constable Kevin King and Constable Josh Prestney.