Two dead after Eltham police pursuit
Two people have sadly died after a van being pursued by police crashed into a car in New Eltham last night. The victims were a couple aged in their 70s in a vehicle hit by the suspect.
The incident occurred between B&Q and Shell petrol station on Footscray Road after police pursued a Ford Transit which failed to stop shortly after midnight.
Council staff were on site clearing the scene this morning and were laying sand on the tarmac with an area coned off. Broken and damaged street furniture was removed.
Witnesses report the van being driven erratically and the driver was arrested “on suspicion of driving while over the alcohol limit, driving while unfit through drugs and death by dangerous driving”.
It was still slightly foggy early this morning and quite dense last night around the time of the accident. I noticed journalists taking pictures of a dented car by the scene though it’s understood this was not the car involved.
Despite bus diversion signs and road closure notices the road appeared open.
It’s the second accident resulting in the deaths of two people during police pursuits in the past two weeks – though the previous incident involved the suspects killed whilst trying to flee on the wrong side of a dual carriageway rather than suspects killing others.
There have already been calls to halt pursuits – though that risks another moped situation whereby people know dangerous driving allows pursuits to end and act as if given a green light – thus putting more in danger over time. Moped related crime exploded after pursuit policy changed with deaths and serious crimes increasing.
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Sad news. Big cuts to traffic police cannot help with more people thinking they can get aware with drink/drug driving.
Also thanks for being the only local outlet (and national from what I can see) who actually visited the scene like a journalist should. The Newsshopper and all others didn’t.
So sad to hear this terrible news. My thoughts are with the family and friends of the two elderly people that died.
We do need more traffic Police as drivers driving under the influence of alcohol and drugs is on the increase again.
Murky is a real journalist that covers a lot of local news and issues in depth.