Punjab-origin driver faces 33 more charges over crash that killed 4 cops

MELBOURNE: A 47-year-old Indianorigin truck driver, who was allegedly involved in a crash that killed four police officers in Australia, has been charged with 33 additional offences, including drug trafficking.

Mohinder Singh has been accused of killing four police officers - Lynette Taylor, Kevin King, Glen Humphris and Josh Prestney - on a Melbourne highway on April 22 this year. He was earlier charged with four counts of culpable driving causing death.

The four officers were standing in the emergency lane of the Eastern Freeway at Kew suburb while they were impounding a Porsche, which was being driven by a Melbourne’s Mortgage broker Richard Pusey.

Pusey was allegedly driving at 149 km per hour and was pulled over by the police officers when Singh’s semi-trailer refrigeration truck struck the standing officers from the rear. Earlier, according to the police, Singh had suffered a “medical episode”, “which seemed to involve him blacking out” when he slammed his vehicle into the officers.

All four police officers died on the scene. On Wednesday, Victorian police said the investigation into the crash was ongoing and Singh had been charged with 33 more offences, including four counts of dangerous driving causing death, driving under the influence, trafficking ice and cannabis and a number of other drugrelated offences. Singh did not apply for bail during his last court appearance and remains in custody. He is due to return to court for a committal mention on October 1 this year. Earlier according to Singh’s statement released by his lawyer, he had expressed remorse and said he was “genuinely sorry and saddened” about their deaths.