A BENALLA Highway Patrol officer alleged to have reached up to 230kph as part of an urgent response to a vehicle crash involving police officers near Euroa told senior officers his actions were “safe and reasonable”. The 55-year-old Leading Senior Constable is disputing allegations he engaged in reckless conduct endangering life on the afternoon of March 21, 2021, following a crash 2km south of Euroa which the accused said had left a Euroa officer “pretty crook”. A speed camera north of Euroa is alleged to have captured the accused’s vehicle travelling at 207kph. The accused’s record of interview was broadcast at Wangaratta Magistrates Court on Tuesday, during which the 10-year Highway Patrol veteran and gold-licence holder, which permits holders to drive at unlimited speeds when policing, defended his actions. The court heard the accused and his co-pilot, a 35-year police veteran, had been travelling on the Midland Highway towards Shepparton when they were called to the crash, joining the Hume Freeway before activating the lights of their BMW 5-series while driving southbound near Violet Town. He was alleged to have passed 77 vehicles over an estimated 20km stretch between Violet Town and Euroa. During the interview, the accused told officers he had disputed a quota set by Benalla senior command earlier in the day detailing police needed to intercept 14 vehicles for licence checks or offending along the Hume Freeway. He said the quota had been set less than 12 months after four police officers were killed in a collision along the Eastern Freeway, and noted “that’s 14 chances I have of something going bad”. “I’m not in the mood or the mindset of doing s*&^ dangerously on the Hume Freeway if I can avoid it,” he told officers during the interview. According to the accused, he did not know whether the Euroa officer involved in the crash had been hit inside or outside of his vehicle, and said no further updates were provided while he and his co-pilot travelled to the crash. “He didn’t sound good – it sounded like to me he (the Euroa officer) was going downhill,” the accused said. “I wasn’t concerned about the speed, it was the manner of my driving. “I’m going to somebody who’s potentially not going to be here tomorrow.” During an 8.7km stretch between Balmattum and Euroa, the accused’s average speed was 205kph, according to data retrieved from in-car police IRIS technology. The hearing continues.
