Vic police order motorist roadblock: claim

AAP

Victoria Police are investigating claims that officers ordered members of the public to use their cars to block the path of a speeding driver on a major freeway on Saturday.

A caller to ABC radio in Melbourne on Tuesday said the speeding driver, who had earlier been pursued by police, crashed into his car which was blocking the emergency lane of the freeway.

David Rendina said he had been travelling with his partner and two young children when police ordered he and other motorists to park their cars across the Melbourne-bound lanes of the Hume Freeway in the city’s outer northern suburbs.

“Police have pulled out from the emergency lane and stopped all vehicles heading south,” Mr Rendina told ABC 774.

It is understood a police pursuit of the speeding car began at Benalla, about 200km northeast of Melbourne, but was terminated because of the driver’s erratic behaviour and high speeds.

The car was then tracked by the police air wing.

Mr Rendina said he felt like a “sitting duck” as the speeding car approached and then hit his vehicle.

“I just remember seeing him speeding towards me and going, ‘Well there’s nothing I can do here, I just have to sit here’.”

He said the speeding driver crashed into his car and several others, leaving his Nissan Navara ute undriveable.

The driver suffered minor injuries but no-one else was hurt.

Victoria Police Assistant Commissioner Stephen Fontana says the incident will be investigated.

He was unsure how civilians became involved.

“Some of these situations are very difficult to deal with,” Mr Fontana told ABC 774.

“Our members are thinking on their feet and it’s often very difficult for them.”

A 19-year-old man, believed to be a learner driver, has been charged with theft of a motor car, two counts of theft, four charges of reckless conduct endangering life and traffic offences.

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